


Among the Stars

by Elisesil3



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Backstory, Earthborn (Mass Effect), F/M, I Tried, Mass Effect 1, Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2018-04-14 01:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 47,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4544244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elisesil3/pseuds/Elisesil3
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*WIP* Lives begin like little pinpricks of light sprinkled throughout the universe. This is the story of how such lights grow and fade, intersecting and diverging. Some building up, others tearing down. But everyone changing as they face the inevitable collective future.</p><p>Mass Effect told with a timeline and focus on multiple characters. Mostly Canon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Abducted

**Author's Note:**

> FIRST DRAFT WARNING. This is my first attempt at writing, so it will probably be edited a million times. Comments and critiques welcome :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young mother finds out her daughter is dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited, 4th Draft.

** Jack **

Chapter One - Abduction 

** Helios Medical Facility **

** Eden Prime, 2165 C.E**

 

“ I’m so sorry,” the doctor said as he entered the small examination room, “These things… there’s so much about prenatal Element Zero exposure that we don’t understand.”

His words hung heavy in the air as they reached the pale woman. Her brown hair was up in a bun, copper strands tumbling onto her face, framing her widening brown eyes. Her hands clutched together tightly. 

“But...no!” her whole body trembled as her voice broke, “ No, she was fine! She was fine and happy! You just told me she needed a checkup!”

Confusion and anger hit her simultaneously as her eyes clenched shut. Echoes of a child’s laughter taunted her mind as her red nails gripped the black rails of the chair.

“It happened quickly,” the doctor spoke gently, “ we were unable to bring her back.”

Her eyes shot up at him, brimming with tears, “ You just said she needed a checkup! How did this happen?” she yelled, crying out questions she knew the doctor couldn't answer. 

Nothing he said would make the situation better. 

“I’m very sorry.” he placed his arm on her shoulder in an effort to comfort the mother.

She grabbed his arm, deep red nails clawing into the white coat, and stood up tossing her hair to the side. The room turned to ice as she spoke,imploring action with darkening pupils, “ I want to see her.” 

 “ No ma’am.” his words came quickly, “ Believe me. After what the seizures did to the poor child's body, you don’t.”

The truth of the situation was hitting her now. Her grip loosened as dark lashes covered her eyes, sobbing into her hands.

"I don't... How did this happen?” 

“ We don't know,” he rubbed his arm and looked towards the door in the back. “I'll be honest. This isn't the first infant we've lost this way.”

The woman sunk down, weak and sobbing, mascara flowing down her cheeks like ink on parchment. She could still feel the warmth on her forearms, her bouncing baby girl in the hands of her mother, not ten minutes ago. Tight brown curls held back in yellow ribbon, springing to be free. Not a care in the world. Her beautiful baby girl. She clawed at her arms as black tears hitthe sterile floor. 

"Why? God. Why?”  

“We're working on treatments,”the doctor grabbed a chart and returned to a professional demeanor, “The government doesn't put much effort into it, though. Don't want to interfere with their biotic recruitments,”he scoffed. 

"Sons of bitches. Those sons of bitches!" She could barely get the words out. Someone was to blame, anyone. She didn't care. Her precious Jacqueline was dead. 

"Listen…” The doctor glanced back at the door and adjusted his coat,“this may not be the right time, but if you'd be willing to let us study your baby's body, we can do some tests.”

The mother turned her head slowly to look up at the doctor. Her eyebrows crinkled in disbelief as her gaze burned into his. He did not just ask her that.

“ You want to keep her?” 

He spoke gently bending down to her level, “ I don't want another family to go through what you went through.”

 

Her head dropped back down as she inhaled deeply. She tried to think clearly, be rational. Maybe her daughter could help. Her poor princess.

"I... Okay. Yes. Whatever helps." she spoke with faint resolve. 

"Thank you so much.” the doctor helped the broken mother out the door, her hair had completely fallen out and her face was painted black, “The nurse will have you sign a few forms. I'm so sorry, ma’am." He truly meant it. 

 

He closed the door gently behind her and leaned against it with a heavy sigh. He released his head and closed his eyes, taking a moment before moving on. _This job never gets easier._ He reasserted himself and headed into the door in the back of the room. The room was filled with all manor of laboratory equipment. Orange glows emulated from various terminals along the walls. The doctor scanned his hand, unlocking the Virtual Intelligence system. 

" Open a secure channel, authorization 3362…”

He looked over at a metal table where a young girl was sleeping. Brown curls tumbling over her glass features, the yellow ribbon tied neatly in a bow. He turned his attention to the control panel that was bathing the girl in orange light.  

“Yes. It’s me. I’ve got a candidate…” Doctor Castor spoke into the terminal, “ Yes, highest potential I’ve seen in years…”

The girl had been sedated, her head full on simple dreams. The wires attached to her skin fed into the system where the doctor was reviewing the readings. 

“ No, the family has been dealt with.” he glanced at the little girl, as pretty as a porcelain doll in her yellow dress. Doctor Castor sighed as he terminated his call.

 

“ Send a team from Pragia ASAP.”

 

 


	2. Shattered Eezo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3rd Draft

 

** Shepard **

** Chapter Two - Shattered Eezo **

** North Market Warehouse **

** Earth, 2168 C.E   **

“Keep your eyes open, these are new contacts,” Finch ordered as he grabbed his rifle. He wasn't about to blow this exchange, not with his boss there. He looked over where Wiseman was equipping his favorite shotgun. His muscles rippled under his brown armor. 

If nothing else, Curt was ambitious. The 10th Street Reds had always remained relatively far down the line in the criminal underworld; staying primarily involved in the dealing of Red Sand. But the gang had recently come under new leadership and seized the opportunity to break into the Ezzo smuggling market. It was lucrative, yet incrementally more regulated and high risk. 

Curt Wiseman intended to run The Reds a little differently, and not many would stand in his way. 

“ If all goes well, we are in for quite a bit of Creds.” Curt grunted as his shotgun folded into position in the small of his back,“You can handle a simple business deal, huh, sweetheart?” 

His arms wandered across the shoulders of a young girl. Her hair was held up haphazardly with a hair tie and twisted strands fell like copper twine around her face. Thick black lashes encased her blue eyes as they hid from Wiseman’s words. 

She hated him. In fact, she barely tolerated The Reds. In another world she might have been an actress, what for her ability to play her loyal part without missing a beat. Despite everything, the gang had given her a way to protect herself and have some semblance of a life. You didn't last long going solo in the streets of Old Manhattan, and without a family, lower level gangs were her best bet for survival. The Reds had never been interested in the brutality that characterized the well known gangs such as the Blood Pack and the Blue Suns. For an orphan who just needed to make ends meet, she could justify their small scale smuggling, to some extent. Curt’s new direction was making her nervous and the way he looked at her certainly didn’t help ease her concerns. She was content working with Finch, but Curt wasn't interested in maintaining the Status Quo, that worried her. 

The sound of his footsteps regressing brought her eyelids to attention as she folded her pistol and shotgun into place on her back. She had to focus. 

Up until then, She had steadily made a name for herself, despite her young age. Finch had taken notice of her when she joined up and took her under his wing. She had considerable skill with a gun and a silver tongue when it came to negotiations. When Curt assumed leadership, her name had made its way to his ear and somehow Finch and her became his usual ground team. 

The Three Reds approached the cargo hold of The Old Manhattan Spaceport, Wiseman had decided a smaller team would arouse less suspicion and draw less fire if needed. She looked around with her peripherals as she followed behind Finch. The warehouse was unremarkable, as perhaps was the point. It was a simple pickup job, confirm the cargo, and secure the transfer; in theory they should be in and out. Curt stopped behind a set of metal crates and the other two followed. 

“Wiseman, I presume?” A duel tone voice groveled as a 6’5 grayed Turian, with bright green face paint adorning his mandibles, stepped into view from behind the crates. Next to him stood two human associates adorned in,equally bright green, light armor.

“I was told I would be dealing with Mathew,” Curt said dryly, while signaling Finch, who had begun to reach for a grenade. The girl found herself distracted by an annoying tingling sensation in her teeth.

“ Mathew isn’t a part of this deal anymore. Nor, should that be a problem,” The Turian placated with an obvious air of superiority. Curt’s muscles tensed, he didn’t take kindly to disrespect.

She did not like the way the crates seemed to buzz, they made her mind cloudy. She figured it was probably the Eezo, but the crates were sealed and neither Finch nor Curt appeared phased by it. She had only had one other exposure to Element Zero, supposedly her mother had been exposed to it while pregnant with her. She couldn’t be sure however, her parents died before she could form memories of them. 

Curt and Finch’s hostility towards the Turian did nothing to calm her instincts. The First Contact War was only 11 years ago, and many humans remained wary of The Turians. From what she learned of the situation, both sides had simply been doing their jobs, but humanity wasn't quick to trust extraterrestrial life, known previously only in science fiction. The Turians could be just as stubborn. 

She watched as Curt casually placed both hands behind his back, signaling them to ready for combat, and she tensed. So much for a simple job.

“I don’t work with Turians,” Curt said calmly, as he pulled out his shotgun and fired corrosive rounds at point blank into the chest of the Turian. Simultaneously, Finch tossed out two pyro grenades behind the crates of smuggled Eezo and she neatly took out the two human guards with Cryo rounds. 

Alarms began to sound, and reinforcements poured in from behind the surrounding crates. Just then, Finch’s grenades went off, starting a chain reaction in the now exposed crates of Eezo. A Blue biotic haze filled the room as the crates began to explode, one by one. 

“We have to get out of here!” Finch yelled out over the shattering of Eezo, Curt started to bark an order as the largest container burst open, sending the girl flying towards the wall. She was covered in the unmistakable glow of element zero and her head was pounding. 

She tried to steady herself and get off the ground, but her vision clouded, and her balance failed her. As her vision left her, she coughed and tried to call out to her fellow Reds, but her mind shut down before her mouth would comply. 

Her world faded into black. 


	3. Brain Camp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2nd Draft

 

** Kaidan **

** Chapter Three - Brain Camp **

** Biotic Acclamation & Temperance **

** Jump Zero, 2168 C.E   **

“What about you Kaidan?” The young girl asked softly. “ What do you want to be?”

The boy looked up at the small circle of friends that had gathered in the small metallic room that became Rahna’s dorm. It was past lights out, but they didn’t care, it was in the dark that they stole smiles from each other and wistfully talked about life outside the station. It was small moments like this that enabled them to deal with their harsh reality.

“I’m not sure, “ He’d thought about it before, his future. When he was first sent to Brain Camp,he had marveled at the vastness of the cosmos. The stars and void beaconed with their endless depth and beauty. But stuck in the facility, the universe seemed so small. He found escape through various books he managed to smuggle past the firewall. 

“ I guess I’d want to be a hero,” Kaidan shrugged meekly, remembering the brave acts of many protagonists, before meeting the young girl’s eyes.

Rahna was beautiful, coffee colored skin and silky brown hair that matched her eyes. But the most brilliant thing about her was her smile. She was always so gentle caring and kind, and despite the trying experiences they endured on a daily basis, she tried to be positive. 

“ I-I guess that seems silly,” he had realized he was staring at her and quickly tried to salvage the situation, “ I would want to do some good.” Kaidan felt his face flush as Rahna smiled at him encouragingly. 

 

They had an early morning. Kaidan and his fellow biotics awoke to the chime overhead from a loud speaker. Not exactly my favorite way to start the day. He thought back to his parents who were back on Earth in Vancouver. The way his mother used to wake him up gently, the scent of home made pancakes filling the house with an appetizing warmth. He smiled remembering how happy she was when his father and him surprised her with breakfast one morning. She was so proud to learn they only burnt one batch. He missed them, but every since his biotics had manifested, he knew he had to learn to control them. As much as he wanted to go home, he understood how important his training was. But he couldn't help feeling like they treated them like prisoners. 

 

The Kids threw on their jumpsuits and lined up in the central open warehouse they deemed the great hall. He let out a soft yawn before looking eyes with Rahna. She smiled and squinted as a means of morning greeting. He blushed and gave a wave. She’s perfect.

“Attention Humans!” A dual tone voice, rough and scratchy, came from the back of the room, interrupting their moment. The atmosphere shifted noticeably, and Kaidan tensed when he saw Rahna hurry to her spot in line, all signs of warmth gone.

The Turian reached the front of the room, pacing, hands behind his back like a general. His eyes deep and black, but emotionless. Kaidan shook his head, Vyrnus. 

 

By the time they broke for lunch, Kaidan was covered in sweat. The Turian Mercenary turned teacher had worked them even harder than usual, pushing the kids farther and farther approaching breaking point. Plopping onto a bench with a ration tray, he wiped his brow. Rahna joined him, her hands shaking ever so slightly. 

“ Are you ok?” he asked, concerned.

She nodded with a forced smile, and tried tame the stands of hair that had fallen out of her pony tail.She had made herself as small as possible.

“I…” her voice was barely a whisper, “ I want to go home, Kaidan.” 

His heart broke for her as she shook on the verge of tears. She was so scared of Vyrnus. What was a turian mercenary doing here anyways! He thought, who okayed this? 

He turned his attention to Rahna, “ Hey,” he said softly, “ it’s going to be ok.” She looked up at him, eyes like a newborn. 

“ How do you know?” Kaidan placed his arm around her in a effort to comfort the trembling girl.

“ I’ll protect you,” he closed his eyes as he breathed in her scent, “ I won’t let him hurt you. I promise.”

She gave him a smile, the warmth back in her face. She was still shaking, dehydrated from the biotic training the turian had put them through. She reached for her glass of water and took a sip—

“ What do you think you are doing?” Her eyes widened and her body froze as the dark voice came behind her. 

“ I asked you a question!” Vyrnus towered over them Rahna, his voice demanding and cruel. The girl was petrified, to scared to answer. 

He was tired of waiting, “ You are here for one reason!” The mercenary snatched her arm with his long talons, pulling the girl out of her seat.Rahna shrieked as her class shattered on the floor. “ to train your biotics. You want a glass of water? you pull it with your powers!” His voice was murderous as the girl sobbed.

His attention was torn from the girl as Kaidan stood up. 

_What are you doing? What are you going to do?_

He hadn't thought that far. But he had to do something. He was filled with adolescent rage.

“ What are you doing?” The turian locked eyes with him and chuckled darkly. Kaidan stood his ground, and matched his gaze. 

“Put her down.” He said it slowly, emphasizing each word.

The turian considered it momentarily,“ Of course,” before throwing Rahna to the side with a thud. 

“ Rahna!” Kaidan screamed as she hit the floor, sobbing and clutching her arm.

“ You are a fool.” Vyrnous was heading towards him now, his talons sharp. Kaidan tensed as the mercenary sped up, clearly intending to do him harm. 

 

_You know what you have to do._ His whole body pulsed with a biotic energy as Vyrnous closed in. The room was bathed in a bright blue light as Kaidan felt the entirety of his energy let loose with an adrenaline filled biotic kick. 

_You will never hurt her again!_

Vyrnous flew backwards and knocked into the opposing wall. His neck cracked with a sickening pop. 

Kaidan’s vision returned to see the dismal sight.Panting as the adrenalin left his body. The room was silent. Rahna was still on the floor, her arm broken and her face covered in tears. He ran over to her, _I promised_.

“ Rahna—“ she recoiled back, sobbing. 

“ Don't touch me!” Kaidan's heart shattered when he recognized fear in her eyes. 

“ I promised—“ she met his gaze with broken yell, 

“ Get away from me!” 

Kaidan looked over to the wall where Vyrnous landed. He wasn't moving. The young boy froze as a chill ran down his spine. 

 

_I killed him._


	4. Life on Tenth Street

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two years after the Eezo explosion, Shepard deals with the aftermath and her growing discomfort of Gang life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning for Sexual Assault.  
> 2nd Draft

 

** Shepard **

** Chapter Four - Life on Tenth Street **

** Tenth Street, Old Manhattan **

** Earth, 2170 C.E   **

“You’re not looking so good Shep,” Finch said sitting down next to the worn out girl who was rubbing her temples. 

“Justa migraine Finch, I’ll probably turn in early tonight…” She shrugged off his concern, she wasn’t really in a socializing mood. 

In the two years after the Eezo explosion Shepard had been dealing with frequent migraines and other issues, none of which were eased by Curt’s increasingly aggressive leadership. It was annoying to be sure but she was coping. “Thanks for asking though.” 

She headed down to the small apartment she had claimed as her own. It was dingy and dark, but it was safe and it was were she could be alone. The single room housed a solo window that looked out onto the rooftop of the adjacent building. She tossed herself on the shabby bed with a loud exhale. 

It was becoming harder to justify her involvement with the Reds. Wiseman had been busy, trying to secure The Reds a place in the intergalactic Red Sand market, expanding to other human colonies in the Traverse. It was a slow process, one the she didn’t particularly have any interest in, but she was eager to see the stars.

She gazed out her window to the slim view of the amber sky. The streets of Earth were all she had ever known, and she was all the more interested in traveling. How she managed to create such a romanticized view of the universe with such bleak surroundings were beyond her. Something about the stars made her hopeful… there was so much out there to explore, diverse cultures, and— her thought process was interrupted by the orange glow of her Omnitool and a soft beep. 

Curt needed to see her. 

 

She groaned, she was not in the mood for his anti-alien agenda or his tyrannical plans. Curt had a tendency to ramble on like an evil villain ranting about his newest scheme. But his wrath was not something trivial, he could be incredibly scary and she would rather stay on his good side. 

She took a quick pill to help her migraine and begrudgingly headed to Curt’s base. 

 

“Took you long enough Sweetheart,” Curt stated as soon as she walked in the door, ”Next time, make me a priority.” His voice was ice. She nodded a quick yes sir and stepped into the room. It was much larger than hers, but relatively the same style. In the center of the room was a desk with three chairs.

“You needed to see me?” she said with little ceremony. 

Curt let out a soft breath and motioned for her to take a seat, as she did Curt closed the door behind her. 

“Yes. You see sweetheart, I have big plans for this gang,” he started and she tried her best not to cringe or roll her eyes at the sound of his ranting, “and so far, you have been able to keep up with my pace.” Wiseman trailed his fingers along her shoulders and bent down to whisper in her ear. “I like a woman who can go as fast as me.” 

She withdrew into her own skin, his voice sent unpleasant shocks throughout her body. She hated that she had to put up with his constant harassment, and she loathed his nickname for her. She hoped he would get it over with.

“Thank you Sir, now you wanted to discuss the future of interplanetary smuggling?” Curt let out a slight chuckle at her attempt to change the subject and walked in front of her. 

“See there’s your problem, sometimes you don’t have to go so fast, sweetheart,” She cringed at his nickname and he bent down to meet her eyes, “Sometimes you enjoy the moment.” His hands rested on the arm of her chair, his biceps rippling. 

She wanted out. This who situation didn’t sit well with her and she cursed herself for not bringing a gun. Her head hurt like crazy and it was hard for her to think straight. She stood up out of her chair and started to head towards the door, “Listen Curt, I’ve got a killer migraine and I need to rest, we can talk about this tomorrow.” 

Curt laughed, “Now you know thats not how this works sweetheart.”

She froze as his tone went dark, “I am in charge here. We do things my way, people who don’t listen to me end up dead, don’t they sweetheart?” his tone mocked sincerity and made her start to panic.

Curt was ten times stronger than her and this was his base, with all her combat skills she would have no chance of surviving one on one. He walked up behind her and placed his hand on her hips, the other one brushed her hair to the side as his whispered in her ear, “ Look sweetheart, this doesn’t have to be hard, slow down and you might even enjoy yourself” he pressed up against her back and she panicked. She could feel the heat of his breath against her ear. 

She twirled around and gave her self some distance from him and went towards the door… it was locked. 

“ Wrong move, sweetheart.” Curt said darkly drawing his pistol and slowly walking towards the door. 

“ I told you before. I am in charge,” He pressed her against the wall and gently caressed her face with his gun. “now be a good little girl and take off that armor.”

Her brain went into self preservation mode, analyzing every possible course of action. She was trapped.His body pressed hard against her and the wall the gun lazily tracing her lips as her eyes pleaded, 

“Curt, please no-“ Wiseman cocked his gun and kissed her neck. 

“Now. Sweetheart.” 

 

She closed her eyes and prayed it would be over soon. 


	5. Scoped & Dropped

** Garrus **

** Chapter Five - Scoped & Dropped **

 

** Grassy Hill **

** Palavan, 2170 C.E   **

 

“ Are you even listening Garrus?”

 

Two turians stood in the yellow glow of the morning on Palavan. 

“ Can we stop for a while?” The younger one held a red sniper rifle roughly the same size as himself, “ My arms hurt.”

 

The other looked down at him,his blue and orange armor reflecting the hot sunlight onto the field, “ Not until you hit those targets. Now again.

The small turian took aim at three glass jars perched precariously on the side of a cliff. Lining up the one with green fluid, he took a breath and pulled the trigger. and missed. He let out a loud sigh and deflated after missing three additional shots.

 

“ Why are we doing this?” The young turian complained, discouraged, “ I’m not going to get any better.”

“ Then this is exactly when you try harder.” The older Turian replied, “ This is when you pull yourself together and you do it. Because if you stop now— If you give up on something when it gets hard— yours never going to make it anywhere in life.”

 

The boy looked down at his sniper riffle as he felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“ I’m not doing this to punish you,” the voice was as gentle as an officer could be, “ My job as your father isn't to make your life easy— It’s to teach you how to be an adult.”

 

Garrus picked up the riffle with newfound resolve, and lined up the scope.

“ Now, again.” His father gave in the signal, and he pulled the trigger. 

He grinned to the sound of shattered glass.

 


	6. A Life Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard takes a stand against the Reds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2nd Draft

** Shepard **

** Chapter Seven - A Life Line **

** Smuggler Outpost Delta **

** Mars, 2171 C.E   **

 

“You ready for today’s shipment?” Finch asked a Shepard who looked a million miles away.

 

”Um sure, where is the pick up again?” she replied monotonously, she knew Finch had briefed her at least twice but she honestly couldn’t tell you what happened yesterday, let alone five minutes ago. It seemed her mind was perpetually cloudy, and she hardly even cared about anything except surviving. 

 

“Ok pay attention this time, we are heading to a small spaceport on Mars, huge shipment of Eezo and Red Sand. We need to be on our guard as there is an Alliance station not far off. Get in and get out ok? “ Finch reiterated to Shepard’s disinterest. 

 

“Yes, Sir.” she said half heartedly and finished up her breakfast. Her life had become little more than an act for her. She appeared almost normal on the outside yet internally, she was empty. 

She grabbed her gear and loaded her weapons with corrosives before heading down to the small docking station where the rest of the ground team was boarding _The Bronx_ , an old frigate that The Reds had stolen from Blue Suns Mercs a year back. 

 

She rubbed her head in a laughable attempt to curba growing migraine and boarded the ship. She didn’t know why she even bothered. She felt nothing, complete neutrality towards every situation. Nothing phased her, nothing pleased her, nothing intrigued her. Nothing became norm. She tried to tell herself to just be herself, but she couldn’t remember who she was. She racked her brain, but to no avail. Eventually she just gave up. She saw no way out. This was her life. 

 

“Double check your equipment and weapons, we have one shot at this.” Curt’s orders barked over the comm system. Shepard closed her eyes and told her subconscious to shut up. She didn’t have time to deal with what Curt had done to her. She needed to focus, it was the only thing to do in order to survive. It was easier when she didn’t have to hear or see him, but unfortunately she was almost always working with him.

 

After all, he was in charge.

 

_Stop_! she chastised herself, _deal with this later, think about something_ _else_!

 

She walked over to the cargo bay’s port hole and watched the slow approach to Mars. She had always dreamed of touching the stars and traveling through space, but as it was now, she felt little more than existence. It was depressing, the lack of joy and excitement that came with fulfilling her dreams, but she had no time to deal with sentimentality. The red rock was as incredible as company was abysmal. 

 

“Ground team suit up and meet in the hanger!” Wiseman’s voice brought her back. It was time for her act to begin. She pulled her curled hair up and stuffed in inside her dark helmet along with what was left of her. 

 

Self preservation was all she had.

 

The spaceport looked like little more than a basic bunker. A few metal domes nestled haphazardly in the sunset colored sand and rock. _Cozy,_ she mused.

 

Curt leaned against the buzzer on the silver dome nestled farthest to the left. 

"Name and business?" A distorted male voice came in through the speaker.

 

" Wiseman, I believe your boss is expecting me." He informed the voice with a tonal smirk. 

" You’re cleared for entry, Mr. Wiseman." The voice noted with a faint click as the door swished open. Curt led the way and entered a code in the elevator. Finch and two other Reds filed in behind him and Shepard followed. 

 

Wiseman’s hands found a way onto her hips and trailed along her body as the elevator descended. She considered pulling her gun and killing the bastard, but the close quarters and loyal Reds around her would have ensured her demise.

 She stayed hidden deep inside her mind as Curt’s hands groped around.

 

“Stay sharp. Sweetheart” he said as he exited the elevator. A momentary pang of rage hit her when she heard the nickname. But she quickly compartmentalized herself and hid deep inside her mind. She exhaled and followed him into the bunker. 

 

The room was full of silver crates and data pads, lined floor to ceiling with typical metal plating and on the far left side was a balcony. In the center of the room stood a female in black light armor. Her hair was tied neatly in a bun and her eyes were coated in dark wing-tipped makeup and red lipstick. 

 

“There you are C! I was wondering when you would show up,” she purred,“ I missed you”.

Curt let out a low growl that made Shepard wince, “Good to see you too Viv. Are we all set with the shipment?” just like that he was all business. 

 

“Huh no fun,” Viv teased, “ Everything is here C, 200 crates of Element Zero and 300 bags of Red Sand, top quality too! My boys had a tough time procuring these from the Alliance.” 

Shepard’s eyes shot up to meet Viv’s at the mention of the military,

“ You stole from the Alliance?” she asked accusingly. Curt’s head snapped back at her, angry for her sudden speech. She felt her muscles seize up when he met her eyes.

“ Ignore her,” he said threateningly, “ We need to load these up onto our ship.” 

 

Viv and Curt continued discussing business as Shepard surveyed the building. Numerous crates had the Alliance logo still plastered on them. 

_This is a big enough amount of Eezo that The Alliance would notice it was gone, and with a base right next door_ …she wondered exactly how smart Viv and her Mercs were. Plus, she didn’t like this. Stealing from other gangs and smugglers on Earth was one thing, but taking supplies from the human representatives in space was another. She kept trying to justify her involvement with the reds. 

 

_Self preservation_ , she told herself, _there is no other way_.

 

A flash of motion in her peripherals caught her attention and she looked up towards the balcony. A hazy outline of a man greeted her with the scope of a sniper. Scanning the area above more closely, she met eyes with a man in an Alliance uniform, he was dark skinned with dark black hair and from his current vantage point, he looked almost a shadow. 

 

Something stayed his hand. She compromised there position, but she made no effort to expose them. The man analyzed her expression. Empty, Pleading, this was a young girl actively repressing her hopes. 

He met her eyes knowingly, urging her to make her next move. 

 

She nodded towards the man slightly, and took a deep breath. 

 

“Curt.” Shepard called out, her tone strong, interrupting his seemingly intimate conversation with Viv. 

 

The sniper on the balcony tensed, but the Alliance official held him back. He wanted to see what she would do.

 

“ What!?” he barked back, eyes clearly irritated.

“Some of these crates are leaking Eezo, we need to double check them before we can load them,” she said with her hand on her hip, “ or don’t you remember what happened last time.”

 

Curt Tossed Viv a harsh look before continuing. 

“ Viv, you know I don’t like things messy.” The woman turned around and sent her men out into the warehouse to secure the crates, Shepard followed in suit and met the eyes of The Alliance officer, who nodded an affirmation.

 

Separated, the mercenaries were easy targets. 

 

The officer signaled his men to attack, and immediately two snipers shot down two of Viv’s henchman. 

“It’s an ambush!” Finch screamed, drawing his riffle on Viv’s men. Shepard drew her pistol as the military continued there assault. Her act had expanded.

“You Bitch!” Curt growled at Viv who opened her mouth to plead. He drew his pistol and haphazardly shot in her direction. Viv died instantly.

“Reds!Full assault! None of this whore’s gang makes it out of here!” Curt barked out orders, clutching his green shotgun as Finch tossed out corrosive grenades from behind a alcove. 

 

Shepard took out two of Viv’s men with a pistol before making eye contact with the marine again. _This is my only chance._ She looked him dead in the eye before pulling out her pistol, and shooting another Red in the back of the head.

 

Her intentions were clear to the officer, she had no loyalty towards the reds. 

 

Finch’s grenades exploded with a flash of white light and began to set off the bags of Red Sand. One by one, cargo was set ablaze— the room was exploding with biotic blue gas. 

“We need to get the fuck out of here!” Finch yelled in retreat, coughing from the biotic drugs that were now airborne. 

 

Shepard lifted her head up from behind a crate, they were none the wiser to her betrayal, but she was never going back with them. Sixteen years scrounging for allies on the streets of Earth, finally on this red rock, she would take a risk. She couldn't go back to that life. She would rather die. 

 

Curt Wiseman entered her sights and she poised to pull the trigger, black curls on her eyelids brushed against her brows, she wouldn't miss this shot. The muscles in her finger contracted just as the crate in front of her exploded into biotic haze. Tossing her high into the air before violently slamming her down against the floor.

 

Her vision blurred, and all she could hear was the crackle of flames and the crashing of metal against metal, as she laid on the floor. The room was swirling hues blues and reds as biotic drugs combined and clashed to the symphony of gunshots. Her head was buzzing as she turned to the side. Her pistol was just out of reach, she stretched out her fingers, her skin was burning blue where her armor had disintegrated. She strained in agony, as she tried to crawl towards it, an explosion to her left sent a sheet of metal hurling towards her in the biotic blast. 

 

The twisted debris hit her head, hard. She was out cold.  

 

 


	7. Anderson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard wakes up after betraying the Reds on Mars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2nd Draft

** Shepard **

** Chapter Eight - Anderson **

** SSV Tokyo **

** Mars Orbit, 2171 C.E   **

 

When she woke up, she couldn’t move her head. She squinted into a bright haze that made her head throb. Northing was clear except pain. All she wanted was for the bright artificial light above her to calm down. Everything hurt as her arms were licked by flames of heat; then it hit her.

Where in the world was she? 

 

She strained against her own muscles and willed her vision to return to no avail. The world around her sounded muffled and distorted as she began to panic. Pulling against her restraints and trying to scream in the unfamiliar void. 

 

A blob of grey appeared beside her, and injected some blue fluid into her. She cried out, as her vision began to dim, _anything but darkness!,_ She sobbed, as she drifted unwillingly into slumber. 

* * *

 

The next time she regained consciousness wasn’t nearly as traumatizing. It was like waking up from a dream. Her eyes fluttered open gently to reveal a crisp image of a medical bay on a ship, or what she assumed to be a ship with the accompanying engine hum.

 

_Not Earth… thank God._ She let out a breath of relief. 

 

It was well lit, and clean, stacks of data pads and tubes of multicolored fluids were littered around every visible surface. Her eyes were open wide as she searched for another hint of her location. The gentle swoosh of a door caused Shepard to turn her head slowly. 

 

“Ah good, it seems you are finally awake!”, The woman’s British accent soothed her ears as she reached for a nearby data pad. She was beautiful in a deep green space coat decorated with orange patches on the shoulder and black ridged body suit underneath. Her hair was cut in a sharp white bob, that framed her face with an excellent amount of drama. Her data pad showed the familiar capital A surrounded by stars, _Alliance…_  

 

“My name is Doctor Chakwas, I understand you must be disoriented, but would you mind if I asked you a few questions?”

Something about her just made Shepard relax. Perhaps it was her professional demeanor and Alliance Affiliation, or the way she spoke with genuine compassion. Regardless, she felt like she was in good hands, wherever she was. 

 

_They would help her, that was their job._

 

“Sure,” she replied with a small smile. 

“Excellent,” She began her list of check ups, “how is your vision?”

 

“Everything is really clear, much clearer than it has been in the last few years… My head feels fine as well… My skin feels kind of tingly and the back of my neck is aching-“ She reached up to rub the back of her neck, and gasped as she felt a substantial bandage adhered at the base of her amber hair. 

 

“What happened to my neck?” She asked as calmly as possible. 

 

“You have been exposed to a considerable amount of Element Zero my dear, the migraines and hazy vision are both side effects of biotic potential. After treating the initial skin burns and concussion, blood tests confirmed that you are indeed a biotic. I took the liberty of installing the newest model of the L3 implant as a part of your recovery process. This implant should get rid of most of the migraines, clear up your vision, and most of all allow you to channel your biotic energy as you will.”

 

Shepard’s jaw unhinged as she stared at the doctor. Biotics? Her? She didn’t believe it. She felt her eyes begin to moisten as a realization set in. She would never be unarmed again. She would be able to protect herself. She could keep herself safe. Emotions flooded her, hope and confidence mixed with resentment and anger that she hadn’t been implanted sooner. Her body shook as tears began to roll. _Stop crying! You are stronger than this!_ she admonished herself, but it only made her hate herself more. 

 

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see the Doctor. Her face was gentle. 

“ I know it is a lot to take it. You have been through a lot, it is ok to just let it out. Just know you are safe here, The Alliance will take good care of you.” 

 

Her concerned support hit her with a fresh wave of tears. She had been alone for so long. She had so much she wanted to say, to thank her, to ask her more, but she couldn’t get the words out. Her breath hitched and her voice was stuck in her throat. Emotions she had repressed for years were violently surfacing, and there was no stopping them.

 

The doctor rubbed her back, “ Just let it all out and then try and get some rest. The time for words will come later.” She draped a thin blanket over her before leaving the room.

 

Shepard let out incoherent sobs as she bundled herself in the blanket. She could feel herself emerging from the recesses of her mind. Her eyes clenched shut as she let the tears flow. 

 

She had never felt safe enough to be this vulnerable.

* * *

 

 

 

“Captain Anderson,” Doctor Chakwas called out to the Alliance officer in front of her. He was dashing in his navy blue casuals as he leaned over the orange glow of a data pad. 

 

“Doctor, how’s the girl doing?” David Anderson’s eyes were hopeful and eager for any news.

 

“Physically she is making a remarkable recovery, ” she watched David’s eyes relax, “ Psychologically, she will need some time.” 

The captain looked concerned, “ Is she awake?”

Chakwas nodded, “ I believe there has been significant emotional trauma in addition to physical injuries. I was not able to complete a full evaluation as she began hyperventilating.”

“ Will she be ok?”

“ Depends on how the situation is handled, in our care I believe she can make a full recovery. I suggest letting her rest before talking to her.”

 

Anderson nodded and gave the doctor a sincere thank you. His mind was teaming with questions. He had no idea who this girl was, but she had helped them with the situation on Mars. She looked much younger than anyone else on the base, he shook his head recalling the mission, she was covered in burns all along her arms when they found her. Surrounded by a blue aura and a sticky pool of blood. _What was she doing there in the first place?_

* * *

 

The next day, the doctor gave him the all clear to speak with the girl. 

The doors gently whooshed open and the girl stirred. Her porcelain eyes gently fluttered opened. 

 

“How are you feeling?” Shepard turned onto her side towards the man’s warm voice. He was standing next to the bed,with his hands behind his back at military attention. He held himself with respect, yet maintained approachability. Something about him was welcoming and warm, almost paternal. 

 

“I’m feeling much better, Thanks,” her voice was soft and youthful. She had cried herself to sleep the night before, and found herself refreshed. Those old emotions were no longer hidden deep inside her. She let herself feel again. She would let herself be hopeful again. 

 

The man smiled gently,“ Good, you were in rough shape when we found you. My name is Captain David Anderson, Alliance Military. Welcome aboard the _SSV Tokyo_.” 

 

“Thank you Sir, she seems a fine ship.” She wasn't exactly used to working with the military, so she stuck with formality.

 

“ Top class.” He paused before continuing, “Now, I must thank you for your assistance back on Mars. Drawing the Mercenaries into remote corners of the facility reduced potential casualties tremendously. Very quick thinking Miss…”

 

“Shepard.” 

 

“Shepard, well I am glad you are doing better... But I need to know what you were doing on Mars.”

 

Her eyes drifted closed and she let out a weighted sigh. She felt strong enough to voice her story now that she had let herself feel the emotions. She could form the words, but the story would make her even more exposed. She looked at the officer, he was standing there, no evidence of force or threat. His eyes conveyed genuine concern. 

 

She would risk trusting him. After all, he rescued her. _Better just start atthe beginning._

 

“I was an orphan on Earth. jumping from place to place, just trying to stay alive in the streets of Old Manhattan. Out of necessity, I joined a minor gang, The Tenth Street Reds. They smuggle the biotic drug, Red Sand and for a while everything was ok. I had a place to stay, people to watch my back, and food. I never liked the gang, but out there you didn’t last long solo. When I was 14 a man named Curt Wiseman took over the gang and things started to get worse. He was ambitious and wanted to break into the Eezo trade, expand our involvement, and build up his own report. He, um, took interest in me and got me training and priority assignments.” 

 

Her voice faltered slightly as she looked to the floor. Anderson sat down in the doctors chair with his hands folded under his chin. 

 

“Earlier this year he um, assaulted me. It was a situation I had no way out of…” she hurried to continue, “a small group of The Reds went with Curt to Mars to secure cargo. When I saw your team, I saw a way out. A way to finally do something right, and escape the hell I was living in. I had Curt in my sights when the crate knocked me out…” Her voice trembled almost imperceptibly and she clenched her fists.  

 

“ It’s ok, you don’t have to go on. I understand,” Anderson could see the pain it brought her to relive those memories. She lifted her eyes from the floor, they glistened in the harsh light.

 

“What you did was very brave. You are a survivor, you did good kid.” Anderson saw his words form a single tear in her oceanic eyes. 

 

_Validation._

 

“ Thank you Sir,” she smiled the first genuine smile she could remember.

 

 


	8. A Good Turian

** Garrus **

** Chapter Nine - A Good Turian **

** Sirius Medical **

** Palavan, 2170 C.E   **

“Mom?” Garrus ran frantically towards the hospital bed in the corner of the room where a female turian lay. Her eye was covered in a bandage and she was dressed in a red hospital robe.

“ What happened?” he collapsed into his mothers arms, holding her closely.

“ It was a hit and run, they said I don’t remember.” Her voice was always so calm, “ don't worry about me— I’ll be fine.”

 

She didn't want to be a burden, _turian mentality_ , Garrus thought, he was just glad she was ok.

“ What are you doing here?” she held his face in her hand lovingly, “ your study abroad shuttle should've left hours ago.”

 

“ I…” he knew she wasn't going to like this, 

“ I didn't go. I heard you were here and I left port.” He spoke quickly now, “ It doesn't matter, It was just a dumb trip, anyways I… I can take care of you now, we both know dad wont leave work to be here.”

 

“ Now, thats not fair.” His mother reprimanded him gently, “He called here the moment he heard and he’s worried sick. In the time it would take for him to travel all the way back here from the citadel, these old bones would be healed. I told him to stay put.” 

He turned his back as she continued,“But Garrus… your scholarship was for this summer only. If you don't go you lose it. you won't qualify again. this was your dream. I wont let you waste it. you get back there and—“

“ It’s too late, they're gone.” He looked down before continuing, “and if I left you here like this, I wouldn't deserve it. I wouldn't forgive myself.”

“ Dad was right. He always said he'd support me in whatever I wanted to do…” He shook his head, finally grasping his reality, “ But he meant as long as its what he wanted me to do.”

His mother gazed after him with saddened eyes, “ It’s time I faced facts. I’m an officer’s son.”

 

_That’s all I’ll ever be._


	9. Biotics & Bulletts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year after arriving on the SS Tokyo, Shepard Has adjusted to Ship life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2nd Draft

** Shepard **

** Chapter Ten - Biotics & Bullets **

** SSV Tokyo **

** Sol System, 2172 C.E **

Captain Anderson came bumbling through the airlock onto the _SSV Tokyo_ , eyes weary after a long day on patrol. He was greeted by youthful laughter, as Engineer Adams entertained an eager Shepard in the mess. 

 

A lot had changed in the year since their encounter on mars. Anderson thought, she was no longer a scared little girl, searching for a reason to go on, convinced she had to face the world alone. It took time, but now Shepard was happy and determined to make the most of whatever life threw at her. The young girl was a huge boost for the crew’s morale. It felt almost like a family floating through the stars. A well armed, structured family.

* * *

 

After receiving the mission reports from the smuggling base on Mars, Admiral Hacket, Commander of the Fifth Fleet and a personal mentor of Anderson, had called in on Vid Com. It wasn’t abnormal for an Alliance vessel to pick up refugees or survivors from hostile encounters. 

 

What was out of the ordinary was the Captain’s request. 

 

“David, this is a military vessel, not a live ship.” Hacket stated with concern. “Officially, only ranking members of the System’s Alliance should have access to the _SSV Tokyo._ ” 

 

He was only a few years older than David, and the two had worked together numerous times prior. Both were stationed on The Alliance moon base when First Contact was made with the Turians. Despite military rank and protocol, David and Steven were more like brothers than officer and subordinate. But they were careful of the line between. 

 

“ Admiral, I understand the peculiarity of my request, but considering the circumstance, you can see why she cannot return to Earth.” 

 

“That is obvious, however there are numerous Alliance resources that could be utilized to relocate and provide for her.”

“I understand Sir, but she has just been implanted with an L3 amp and has no biotic training. Jump Zero was just shut down and the only facilities for biotic training are with the Alliance.” 

 

“Even so, the military is still establishing such training programs for minors.” 

 

“Exactly Sir. I have biotics on my crew and the ability to keep her safe during her training.” 

 

“This is incredibly unorthodox David. I know you have a soft heart, but why are you sticking your neck out for this girl you don’t even know?” 

 

“Because I believe in her Steven.” Anderson dropped formality, “Something about her, it makes me want to help her. To listen to what she has to say. I believe there is greatness within her and Doctor Chakwas says her biotic potential is unbelievable. Off the charts. But right now she is fragile, she needs structure and support. If we abandon her now, it could destroy her psyche” 

 

Steven mused, _the captain had always been a bit of a romantic,_ “ Are you sure you can command an Alliance ship with a young girl on board?” 

 

“Absolutely Sir. She has been through enough.. I wouldn’t want her to be alone again.” He knew Hacket would understand.

 

“Very well David. You have my ok. I’ll discuss it further with The Alliance Brass, but I’m pretty persuasive. Good luck out there Captain.” 

 

“ Thank you Admiral.” 

 

“ Hacket out.” 

* * *

 

Looking at her now, laughing with the crew and enjoying life on a military vessel, Anderson couldn’t help but smile. 

 

“Captain! Good to see you aboard safe Sir.” Engineer Adams offered a military issued salute, as Anderson approached the silver table and dim yellow booth in the mess.

 

“Join us for dinner ‘Captain’?” Shepard’s tone was jokingly serious with his formal address. Her face scrunched up as she straitened her posture with a humorous glint in her deep blue eyes that gave way to a sly smile. 

 

“I have time, how’s the Tokyo holding up you two?” The Captain asked as he grabbed a standard ration tray and slid in next to the kid. She was happily sipping hot chocolate with whip cream in a navy mug with bold white lettering stating _Captain_ on the brim. 

 

“And isn’t that my mug?” He added nudging the girl’s shoulder. 

 

She rolled her eyes.“ Nope. Not like it has your name on it or anything.” She replied slyly, sipping from the mug with anime eyes. Anderson chuckled at her white mustache and turned his attention to Engineer Adams. 

 

Greg had taken quite a liking to the young girl. He usually kept an eye on her while Anderson was out on patrol. “ All systems are holding up to code Sir, I spent today working on recalibrating the drive core in the hold while this one managed some impressive biotic lifts.” 

 

Shep shrugged as the engineer took a bite of the mashed-something-or-another that resided on his metal tray.

 

“Thats what I like to hear!” Shepard filled with warmth at Anderson’s proud voice, ”You’re really coming along kid. Lifts, Throws, Barriers, anything else I missed?,” After all those years, he figured the girl could use some encouragement.

 

“I’ve managed a few Slams and a Stasis once. I’m really wanting to work towards a Flair.” Shepard explained excitedly to the officers’ enjoyment. It was nice to be noticed in a positive way, it was different. 

 

_This is what family feels like._

 

“She sure is eager, Captain.” Adams continued,“ We need to bring _the Tokyo_ into Gregarian Station for her regular maintenance before our next tour.” Anderson took note and nodded.

 

“That reminds me,” Shep put her mug down gently on the tin table, “Anderson, I need to talk to you about something.”

 

“I need to get back to my post anyways. Thanks for the help today Shep. Captain.” Engineer Adams slatted and turned towards the engineering deck leaving the girl and the Captain alone in the mess. 

 

“You’ve adjusted to ship life quite well, Shepard. You look good.” 

 

“Thank you Captain… I really like it… thats kind of what I wanted to discuss with you.” Shepard held her mug in both hands, gently feeling the warmth of her cocoa travel into her skin. 

 

“Ok, Shoot.” The Captain said as he pushed his tray forward.

 

“ I turn 18 next week, April 11. And I’ve figured out what I want to do with my life. With your advice, I’d like to enlist in the Alliance… Officially,” Shep looked up from her mug with eyes that yearned for approval. 

 

Anderson looked at the young girl, he was already proud of her. 

 

“Are you sure you want this Shepard, it’s not a particularly glamorous lifestyle. It’s dangerous.” 

 

“I’ve grown up with danger, It’s a part of my life. I would rather be a part of something bigger. I want to make a difference in the galaxy.The Alliance was there for me when no-one else was, now I want to help people, like you.” 

Anderson smiled at the girl. 

“You’ll make an excellent soldier.” 

 

Shep beamed up at him and gave him her best salute. “Yes Sir!” 

 

 


	10. Six Months Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai Leng meets Shepard.

** Kai Leng **

** Chapter Eleven - Six Months Later **

** Alliance Command **

** Sol System, 2172 C.E   **

 

“I’m Shepard!” The brunette said bubbly, “Perspective Vanguard. Welcome to the Alliance!” She gave him a clean salute to her new comrade. 

Spiky black hair, and dark foreboding eyes looked at her before extending his hand,

 

“ Leng, Kai Leng,” His voice was cool confidence, “Pleasure to meet you Miss Shepard.”

 

She shook his hand and smiled,although his voice was slightly off-putting. 

“ I look forward to working with you Leng!”His eyes were fixated on her, deep and endless, “I believe we both will be serving in the Terminus Systems Patrol and Reconnaissance branch.” 

 

“ That is correct. I look forward to seeing you in action Shepard. I hear you are quite skilled.” She’d been with the Alliance six months, and her name had already reached the recruitment rumor mill. Her biotics were precise and powerful and her marksmanship with a pistol was formidable. 

 

“ Well thank you, hopefully I won’t disappoint!.” She laughed modestly before a senior officer called her away from the slim and agile man.

 

“Oh, I doubt you will.” Leng muttered as Shepard walked away, his eyes lingering on her curves. She was dangerous, no doubt. Leng loved dangerous women. He loved a challenge of any kind. He intended to keep a close eye on her. 

 

Kai Leng was incredibly talented for his age. His flexibility gave him an advantage in close quarters operations and his biotics were not to be trifled with. He laughed to himself, _too easy._ Forging papers to get in the Alliance as a 16 year old was child’s play. 

 

Life was just a seres of games for Leng. A constantly changing contest of superiority. 

 

_She is determined,_ he considered Shepard as his new game _, conquering her would be no small task…_

 

 

The following months consisted of numerous retrieval missions in the Terminus Systems. MIA agents or refugees, the Alliance was tasked with bringing them home safely or returning the remains.

 

 It was amateur work in Leng’s opinion. As he found little glamor in the search and rescue department. What he did find, however, were several Stars of Terra, Blue Crosses, Purple Hearts, and Service Medals. 

 

Not for his bravery, but for the ones he rescued. His little treasure hunt and the pursuit of Shepard were his current games. He always had a weakness for shiny and dangerous things…

 

 


	11. Whiskey Colored Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaidan Alenko Enlists in the Alliance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2nd Draft

** Kaiden **

** Chapter Twelve - Whiskey Colored Skies **

 

** Alliance Command **

** Gregarian Station, 2173 C.E   **

 

_This is it. I am going to do something good for a change. My biotics will protect and save the innocent. I will do this the right way. I will make things right._  

 

Kaidan Alenko sat at the bar in the spaceport residence on Arturious station. His hands were curled around a glass of golden whiskey, that paired perfectly with the rich color of his eyes. His gaze was outside the massive window, towards the stars. His thoughts, equally as far away. Perhaps he was foolish for thinking of being a hero… the last time hadn't gone so well, but his mom always said he was an old soul at heart, and found himself continually in awe of the milky way.

 

He took a gentle sip of his drink, and looked down at the dog tags in his hands. _They would be proud._ He let out a breath of air, and put the tags around his neck. 

 

The whoosh of an adjacent airlock drew his attention. Two men in full uniform escorted a distracted man with thick black hair towards the Alliance’s chambers.

_I wonder what he did for an armored guard… can’t be good_. Alenko mused as he watched the others emerge from the ship. Among them, was young girl with porcelain skin and almond hair. She looked disappointed as she looked after the guards. Kaiden realized he was staring, and turned back to his drink. 

 

A group of men from the ship sat down at a table near the bar and the girl followed them. After a brief exchange, she passed by them in favor of the bar.

 

“Is this seat taken?” Kaiden was brought back from his daydreaming by the sound of the girl’s voice. 

 

“ Uh, no go ahead,” He stammered slightly, not exactly anticipating conversation. 

 

“Thanks.” She said as she slid onto the seat next to him. 

He looked at her, and found himself drowning in her iris,a mix of blues and greens and browns sprinkled in between. 

 

He realized he was staring again as her dark lashes shielded the colors from his gaze.

 

“You look like you are a million miles away. Lots on your mind?” He said as a means of conversation starter.

 

She laughed slightly, “Aren’t we all?” He chuckled with her softly. “Just thinking about a crewman, he joined about 6 months after me… got caught stealing medals off dead enemy officers.” She shook her head with disgust and disappointment, “Unbelievable.”

 

“ I guess he didn’t join with the same intentions as I. You know, there’s good and bad on both sides.” She said shrugging slightly. 

 

He considered the sentiment momentarily, She was right. Vyrnous was an ass… but he had nothing against Turians. Good and bad. 

 

“ You make a good point there. I hope my intentions are good. I think they are. I enlisted today, actually.” He ran his fingers through his hair subconsciously as he started to ramble.

 

“ Welcome to the Alliance!” She said genuinely, her tone shifting to intrigue with a warm smile. “I joined last year, Vanguard Biotic Division working with Patrol and Reconnaissance out in the Terminus Systems.” 

 

Kaiden was distracted momentarily by the galaxy in her eyes, “ You’re a biotic too?” He hadn't met another since, Brain Camp.

 

“Yup! Found out a few years ago. You?”. 

 

“ I’ve known since I was twelve. Training for the Sentinel corps myself,”.

“Well good luck recruit! Biotics really come in handy in the Alliance, I’m sure you will do just fine.” She smiled again, her energy was infectious and he felt his face match hers.

 

“ Thank you ma’am.”

 

 


	12. Bullshit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashley Willams rants while having some much needed shore leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3rd Draft

** Ash **

** Chapter Thirteen - Bullshit **

** Todd’s Bar **

** Entiyon, 2174 C.E   **

 

“Williams, you look like you could use a drink.” Lt. Coats said as he watched the young girl practically frothing with rage. Normally, she would find his Old British accent charming, but he had caught her on an off day. But, yes, she really could use a drink.

 

Ashley pulled her brown hair out of her uniform bun and let it cascade over her shoulders as she took a seat next to Coats. _This is bullshit,_ she fumed as she ordered a shot of blue liquid. Ashley had realized it wasn't going to be easy following in her families footsteps. The Williams’ had served the Alliance for over three generations, unfortunately, the name didn't garner much respect. 

 

“Don't let the bureaucrats get you down girl,” Coats turned as she tilted her head back, “ you've got the skills, ultimately that is what they value most.”

She scoffed. She had only just enlisted, and the effects of her grandfather were already painfully obvious.

 

“Bullshit,” Ashley practically snorted at his optimism as she ordered another shot, “honestly, it was palatable until Entiyon.”

 

“Sounds like a Story.” 

* * *

 

It was her first posting when everything went to hell. A simple protection job for a small colony out on the edge of the traverse. It was an unremarkable mining settlement, _a safe job._ Ashley mused thinking back to the dusty village. Her scores back at basic were phenomenal, and she knew it. If she was anyone else she would have priority assignment. But she was a Williams. Shit postings were her domain. 

 

The only other solider of note stationed there was Kai Leng. His skills matched hers, but while she was held back by her grandfather’s actions, he was there on his own conscious. He had been reprimanded and disgraced for unsavory scavenging while on duty. _Asshole_.

 

The sun was beating down while Ashley worked her post, guarding the entrance to the west entrance to the Iridium Mine. _At least the miners were kind,_ Ashley didn't mind the protection assignment itself, it was the reasoning behind it that got her blood boiling. 

 

She made it to around mid-afternoon without incident. All was well. Until the Blood Pack arrived. 

 

Williams looked up to the horizon where two drop ships of raiders and heavy artillery were making their approach.Training kicked in and Ashley put the mine in lockdown, activating security protocols. Ensuring the workers would be protected, she headed down toward the central settlement to get the civilians into a bunker. 

 

That’s when she saw him. His hair was long and black, bleeding onto his deep grey light armor. His arms were flexed slightly, fingers posed on his pistol as he turned to face her.

 

“Leng, we need to secure the perimeter!” She spoke with the authority of an officer, “ I’ve secured the West Mine and alerted the Alliance.”. His eyes were cool and calm as he spoke. 

 

“ We can ambush them from the checkpoint in the southern edge of the settlement, “ Leng spoke deliberately as his eyes focused on something in the distance. 

 

She nodded, “ Have the colonists reached the bunker?”. 

 

“ The alarm was triggered.” He said dismissively, “ now we buy them time at the chokepoint.”

 

Ashley got a weird vibe from him, but in a hostile situation she had to trust her team.

 

“Let’s kick ass.”

 

* * *

 

 

Ashley downed her third shot before continuing her story. 

 

“So there we are,” her voice portraying her level of intoxication as she gestured wildly with her arms, “Mr. Kai Leng and I bunkered down. Taking out Blood Pack. One by one. I finally get a shot out on the pilot of the last drop ship as our reinforcements arrive. I am sweaty, and covered in dirt and just teeming from the combat high as this woman officer comes up to the two of us. “ Ashley stands up mocking the bravado of the officer, “ Oh! Leng, this was such an impressive display of your skills! Blah blah blah… We will see your actions commended and recommend you for a Systems Alliance Medal of Valor!” She topped it off with a sloppy salute before sinking back into her seat.

 

“Bloody Hell Williams,” Coats concurred, “ Of course the bastard would get off with a commendation! Whose ass has he been kissing?” He motions for Todd to get another drink before placing a hand on Ashley’s back.

 

“ Sorry Williams… It’s a tough break and you don't deserve it.” She exhaled loudly before propping her head up on her hands. 

 

“ Yeah. Well, that’s how it is.” She was a fighter, it sucked, but she wasn't about to give up, “A Williams must be better than the the best, if only to avoid suspicion.” She looks up at Coats, who smiled supportively, she could afford to be a bit sloppy on such well earned shore leave.

 

“Cheers Williams.” The two marines clinked glasses. Enjoying letting off some steam, not worrying about the hangover that was to come.

 

 


	13. The Blitz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard is attacked by Batarians while on shore leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2nd Draft

 

** Shepard **

** Chapter Sixteen - The Blitz **

 

** Elyisium **

** Skyllian Verge, 2176 C.E   **

 

“It feels weird to be out of armor!”. Shepard laughs as she joins up with her team mates. They had just taken out a slaver outpost near one of the lunar colonies and were finally getting some much needed shore leave. As means of celebration, the crew decided on a night out.

As the only two women on board the _Ontario,_ Shepard and Tiana were fast friends. She was an engineer from a wealthy family of diplomats on the Citadel, and was a force of nature on both the battle field and dance floor. She had insisted the two of them get dressed up for shore leave. 

Shepard jumped at the opportunity, she never really had a chance to wear civilian clothes, and Tiana aimed to remedy that. 

“Hurry up Shepard!” she said fastening her eating in place, “ I want to see you!” Tiana’s long black hair was in braids that went all the way down to her small of her back. She wore an immodest white dress, and black straps circled around her legs. Shepard laughed as she walked in to see her friend, looking at her you would never suspect that she knew how to ruin you in eleven different ways and could hack a system in record time. 

Tiana’s deep black eyes were accentuated by bright yellow shadow, they widened as Shepard entered the room.

She had on a short navy baby doll dress with copper heels. Her hair was loose in her natural curls and her blue eyes were surrounded with think black liner. It was such a freeing feeling to be out of armor, but it was also slightly disconcerting.

“Damn but you look good Shep!” Jake let out a slight whistle as she elbowed him and giggled. 

“ Shut up Jake. We know your not good for it.” She said with a mischievous smile. Jake was a sweet guy, an amazing friend, and an incorrigible flirt. Tiana laughed along with the rest of the crew as they went inside the small club.

It was as any other club would be, dark except for the multitudes of electric screens and colored displays. The music was loud and heavy with bass. 

Jake nudged Shepard’s shoulder, “ C’mon, let me buy you a drink!” 

She laughed, “ I’m not turning down free liquor. But you better not get any ideas.”She wagged her finger at him in warning.

“ Me? Never!” Jake feigned insult as he went over to the bar. Tiana was already dancing with some guy and motioned her to come over. She smiled, she loved shore leave. 

* * *

 

“Jake, Tiana! You two get the civilians to the safe point! I need to see whats going on!” 

Shepard ran outside the club and was greeted by the silhouette of a Batarian Starship overhead. _Damn it, I shouldn’t have worn a dress_. She thought before following the ship to its destination. Jake and Tiana were in the middle of an increasingly lewd, Ryncol fuled, game of truth or dare when the power in the club cut out and the floor began to shake. 

 

Shore leave was ending early. 

As she ran towards the front end of the colony, Shepard directed civilians towards the safe zone. Up ahead, she could see four other Alliance marines doing the same.

“ Shepard, Alliance vanguard division,” She gave a salute to the young man who appeared to be in charge, “ What’s the situation?”

“ Kohoku,” the man looked relived as she listened to his report, “ We've just sent out a squad to protect the safe zone. We are low on men, but we are holding them off.”

“How many ships?” Shepard instinctively threw out a barrier at the sound of a gunshot.

“ Three so far.”

“ Civilians need to be a priority, My crew and i cleared them out of the west end of the colony, any news on the east?” She motioned for everyone to get down as another ship passed overhead.

“ No ma’am, my men came from the North.”The ship touched down about fifty feet ahead of them. Shepard saw as slavers with sets of eyes running up their face poured into the colony. _Batarians._

“ I’ve already radioed for reinforcements, Kohoku, you and your men go and secure the rest of the colony, get everyone to the safe zone!” Shepard looked over where a small group of civilians had arrived with weapons, “I’ll hold back the Batarians on this end until the Alliance gets here.” She knelt behind the base of the adjacent building and put up a barrier as shots began to fire.

“ Can you hold out here ma’am?” Kohoku looked concerned but urgent. 

“ Yes Sir. “ She said without pause, “Go get the civilians safe!” 

“Ay, aye.” Kohoku and his men ran off towards the east end of the Colony as she sent out a massive shockwave; Knocking back five incoming Batarians. 

She rolled back behind cover where the group of civilians began reddening their weapons, “ You need to get to the safe zone!” Shepard yelled over the blast of a grenade.  

 

The civilians didn't move, 

“ We want to help. “  

 

Shepard didn't like endangering the colonists, but she wasn't about to tell them to abandon protecting their home.She tossed out a barrier and sent her rag tag militia into position,  

“ Keep to cover and time your shots!” She let out a yelp as a stray shot broke through the barrier and skimmed her left arm, drawing blood. Her hair was falling in her face and her dress was torn and tattered. 

“ Alliance command this is Shepard, on shore leave on Elysium. We are being attacked by Batarian slavers and need immediate reinforcements. Do you copy?”. She sent out another SOS as she slammed down an encroaching Batarian. 

“We don’t need heroes here! We focus on staying alive and keeping them back understand!” The civilians nodded and kept to cover.

Shepard’s head was pounding, _damn it Tiana,_ she cursed her friend’s insistence on shots as she clutched her arm. She was loosing blood, and she was starting to feel weak from all the biotics. 

without a gun, this was the best she could do. her civilan militia was taking orders well, and they were still alive. She needed the Alliance to get there soon if she was going to keep it that way.  

The crackle of her com system came in her ear, “Shepard, this is the _SSV Agnicourt_. We have a lock on your signal and are bringing air support. Standby.” 

 

_Thank God._

She mustered the rest of her strength and sent out a massive shockwave. She furrowed her brows and took a deep breath. 

 

A lot of lives were ridding on her. 

 

 


	14. A Mediocre Turian

** Garrus **

** Chapter Fifteen - A Mediocre Turian **

 

** C-Sec Academy **

** Citadel, 2172 C.E   **

 

“ Do you know how long we've been building the case against Kishpaugh?” Garrus gestured adamantly with his talons, “ How could you just let him go?” 

 

He had been working to get him into custody for months! Months of back ally investigation, dead ends, and unhelpful civilians and he had finally found a witness willing to testify. 

 

Until this morning when his father had let him go.

 

“ Evidence tampering. Witness coercion. Assault. You call that making a case?” His father didn't even turn around, “ I expect that from these rookies who call themselves C-Sec officers nowadays— not from you.”

 

“Sure. Its all so easy for you, casting judgment from behind that desk.” He had had enough of this red tape, “ You have no idea what its like out there anymore. Guns and drugs flooding into this place— I cut off one supply channel and two more open up around it… and you'd ratherspend my time doing paperwork?” 

 

The officer shot his head back towards Garrus, “ So if you don't like the rules, you just break them. Is that it?”

 

“Of course not,” _I’m trying my best dad! “_ It’s just—“

 

“ It’s nothing.” His father cut him off, “ This isn't just a job, son— you have to see the bigger picture.”

 

The officer looked tired, “There are millions of people on this station, each with their own ideas of how society works, and some days we’re the only ones holding this place together.”

 

Garrus wasn't in the mood for a lecture. His father was every inch a turian. _By the book isn't cutting it anymore dad!_

 

“It’s not meant to be easy, but if filling out paperwork is too much for you, maybe you're not cut out for it.”

 

He looked at his father with frustration, tired of seeing criminals go free due to Bureaucratic discrepancies. 

 

“ Do things Right, Garrus— or don't do them at all.” 

 

His father would never change.

 


	15. A New Crew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard is Reassigned to the SSV Normandy

** Shepard **

** Chapter Nineteen - A New Crew **

** Normandy SR-1 **

** Gregarian Station, 2183 C.E   **

 

“Well, What about Shepard?” Donnell Udina, the Human Ambassador mentions after perusing several data pads,“Earthborn…but no mention of her family?”

 

“Doesn’t have one, she grew up on the streets. Learned how to fend for herself.” David Anderson remarks eagerly, he had been keeping an eye on Shepard throughout her time in the Alliance. She has done incredibly well, and he was proud of what she had accomplished. 

 

“She already Proved herself during the blitz, held off the enemy on the ground until reinforcements arrived.” Admiral Steven Hacket had been keeping an eye on her too, she was one of the Alliances biggest success stories and an incredibly skilled soldier. 

 

“She’s the only reason Elysium is still standing.” Anderson added, sipping from his navy captain mug fondly.  

 

Udina pursed his lips, “ We can’t question her courage.” He had nothing against her, but he wondered how she would fair diplomatically. “ but we cannot afford to make another mistake. We need to be certain.” 

 

“Humanity needs a hero and Shepard is the best we’ve got.” Anderson stated with conviction. He knew that better than anyone.

 

Udina considered the thought, “ I’ll make the call.”

* * *

 

Reassignment: Normandy SR1 

Position: XO

Commanding Officer: Captain David Anderson

Report at 0800.

 

Shepard arrived at _the Normandy_ early, eager to see her old friend again. It had been years. And seeing him standing outside the state of the art frigate made her almost breach protocol. 

 

“ Commander Shepard reporting for reassignment to _SSV Normandy_ under Captain David Anderson Sir.”. She gave her most perfect salute and smiled wryly at the aging captain. 

He smiled back gently, “At ease soldier, welcome aboard the _SSV Normandy._ ” It had been too long. 

 

 


	16. A Simple Shakedown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard Familiarizes herself with the Normandy and Investigates the state of the Crew.

** Shepard **

** Chapter Twenty - A Simple Shakedown **

 

** Normandy SR-1 **

** Arcturus Prime Relay, 2183 C.E   **

 

_This ship is amazing!_ Shepard thought as she gave herself a tour. _The SSV Normandy_ ; a joint project between the Human Systems Alliance and the Turian Military and a rare olive branch between species. She was working her way to the cockpit as the pilot’s voice broadcast over the internal comms. 

 

“ _The arcturus prime relay is in range. Initiating transmission sequence_.”

The main deck was bustling with the crew busily heading towards their stations. In the center of the room was a massive raised platform that overlooked The Galaxy Map. A large holographic interface that replicated the galaxy and from which the Captain could plot the course. Her eyes widened as she examined the intricately represented star systems on the map.

 

“ _We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination_.”

She hadn’t had a chance to familiarize herself with Anderson’s new crew yet, and had hoped to at least introduce herself before they arrived at Eden Prime. The Captain had hand selected them, so naturally she was curious as to what kind of people David wanted.

 

“ _The relay is hot. Acquiring approach vector_.”

Up on the bridge, was the pilot Jeff Moroe, fondly referred to as Joker. He was an incredible flight lieutenant and his evasive maneuvers were the stuff of legends. His scruffy brown hair poked out from the edges of his baseball cap neatly adorned with SR-1 in white lettering.

 

_“ All stations secure for transit.”_

In his co-pilot chair was Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, a powerful biotic and tech specialist. His eyes were dark and thick, like golden whisky, and his hair was dark brown. Both men were intensely focused on their respective stations in preparation for the jump.

 

“T _he board is green, approach run has begun.”_

_The Normandy_ headed towards the huge Mass Relay, soaking the ship in its blue light.Behind the men stood a turian named Nihlus. An unusual guest on an Alliance ship, but given the joint construction, it was more understandable. He had black face paint and red armor. His gaze was focused out the window, observing the relay jump. He was one of the most interesting Turians she had ever seen before, but something about him made her feel out of the loop.She was missing something. 

 

“ _Hitting the relay in 3… 2… 1…”_

With a short gravitational blast, _The Normandy_ was hurtled through the relay and towards the destination. Shepard watched the jump from behind the two pilot’s seats.

“Thrusters… check. Navigation…check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. Drift… just under 1500 k.”Joker went through his post jump list.As Nihlus loomed over his shoulder. 

“ 1500 is good. Your captain will be pleased.” He said approvingly, before turning and heading towards the stern.

“I hate that guy” Joker stated matter a factly as Shepard stifled a giggle.

“Nihlus gave you a compliment… so you hate him?” Kaidan’s voice was warm and raspy and distinctly familiar to the commander.

“You remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom? That’s good. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. So that’s incredible! Besides, Specters are trouble. I don’t like having him on board. Call me paranoid”

“You’re paranoid. The council helped fund this mission. They have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment.”

 

“Yeah, that is the official story. But only an idiot believes the official story.” 

She giggled to herself slightly at the banter, but as much as she trusted Anderson’s judgement, they all could feel there was more to the mission than what was told. 

“ They don’t send specters on shakedown runs, there must be more to this.”

Joker’s current Co-pilot looked up at the commander, maybe they had a point, but Captain Anderson would have a good reason to keep this from them. After all, they had all been hand chosen by the Captain himself for this assignment. 

Only time would tell. 

Joker was about to gloat that Shepard had agreed with him, when Anderson’s voice rang through the comm. 

“ Joker! Status report.”

“ Just cleared the mass relay, Captain. Stealth systems engaged. Everything looks solid.”

“ Good. Find a comm Buoy an link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime.”

“ Aye, Aye, Captain. Better brace yourself, Sir. I think Nihlus is headed your way.”

“He’s already here lieutenant. “

Joker shook his head while his crew mates stifled laughter. Shepard liked Joker, she had heard a lot about him, and it was impressive. He was an accomplished pilot and he worked really hard. Plus, she found his particular brand of humor amusing.

“Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm room for a debriefing.” Anderson’s voice came through the crackling airwaves of the comm system.

“You get that, Commander?”

She had really hoped to introduce herself to the crew ,but it seemed that the Captain had other plans. 

 

“ On my way down.” She stated as she turned towards the comm room “ Hopefully I’ll get a chance to talk to you two later!” As she walked away she chuckled at the two’s banter. 

 

 Is it just me or does the Captain always sound pissed off?” Joker asked to Kaidan’s retort, “ Only when he’s talking to you joker.”

 

“Oh haha Kaidan.” Joker mused as Shepard went out of earshot. “ Anyways, what do you think of our XO? Commander Shepard! Hero of the Blitz!” He asked with bravado. 

 

“ I don’t know anything about her really, except whats on the vids. “ Alenko thought, “ She seems nice enough.” 

 

Joker prodded, “ C’mon Kaidan have you looked at her? She’s hot.” 

 

“ She’s our commanding officer Joker.” He replied simply, he wasn’t one to break regulation. 

“Yeah yeah, you’re no fun Alenko.” Joker retired his attention to the cockpit and Kaidan went back to tinkering with his omnitool. 

* * *

“ I’m telling you, I just saw him! he marched by like he was on a mission!” Navigator Pressly was worked up, speaking hurriedly near the galaxy map.

”He’s a Spectre. They’re always on amission.”  Shepard smiled as she overhead Engineer Adam’s familiar calm voice coming through the speaker.

“And were getting dragged right along with him!” She looked at the navigator, he had been a part of the first ship of reinforcements during the Blitz, _although back then he had a bit more hair_.

“Relax Pressly, you’re going to give yourself an ulcer.” He was a proud military man, but he was not without his issues. 

 

He seemed to take Adam's advice and calmed down as he turned back to his data pad before noticing the Commander's arrival

 

“ Congratulations, Commander. Looks like we had a smooth run. You heading down to see the Captain?” Pressly gave a formal salute as she approached his station to the right of the galaxy map. Shepard figured she had sometime to talk to him and make sure he was doing ok. Distrust did not bode well on a ship. 

“ Sounds like you don’t trust our turian guest.” She implied as a manor of questioning. 

“ Sorry, Commander," He replied meekly, "Just having a chat with Adams down in engineering. Didn't mean to cause any trouble. But you have to admit, something's odd about this mission. The whole crew feels it.” 

_He wasn’t wrong, the ship did feel off today._ “You think the Alliance brass is holding out on us?” 

**“** If all we're supposed to do is test out the stealth system, why is Captain Anderson in charge? And then there's Nihlus. Spectres are elite operatives. Top covert agents. Why send a Spectre--a turian Spectre--on a shakedown run? It doesn't add up.”Pressly spoke with his hands as she considered what he was saying. 

She had just been assigned to the Normandy and didn’t know nearly enough about the ships make up, Pressly looked like he might know a few things.“What do you know about the stealth systems?”

“I just know it masks our location from scans and sensors. Cutting edge technology. The Normandy's the only ship with this prototype drive. But why are we fully staffed? A skeleton crew would be cheaper. Less chance of security leaks, too. Plus, there's Nihlus. It's pretty obvious this shakedown run is just a cover.” You could hear the conspiracy theories brewing on his lips.

“For what?”

“Damned if I know, Commander. We're out here on false pretenses. I'm not a fan of being left in the dark..” his unease was understandable but the crew seemed to respect Anderson.

“Do you have a problem with the Captain?”

“No, ma’am But I can't figure out what he's doing here. Captain Anderson is one of the most decorated Special Forces officers in the service. If he melted down all his medals, he could make a life size statue of himself. You don't send a soldier like that on a do-nothing mission. He's treating this shakedown run too seriously. Something big is going on.”

She nodded, but that wasn’t why she wanted to talk to him. “You don't trust Nihlus.” 

Pressly shrugged. “I don't like turians in general. Runs in my family. My grandfather fought in the First ContactWar; lost a lot of friends when the turians hit us.” 

“That was thirty years ago. You can't blame Nihlus for that.” 

The navigator sighed but understood.”No, I guess not. But it still makes me nervous to have a Spectre onboard, especially a turian. We're an Alliance vessel, human military. But Nihlus doesn't answer to the Captain like the rest of us. Spectres operate outside the normal chain of command. And they don't come along just to observe shakedown runs. Nihlus looks like he's expecting some heavy action. I don't like it.” 

She nodded, it was obvious the crew was on edge and she intended to investigate. “I'll see if I can get some answers when I see him. “

“Good luck, Commander.” Pressly returned to his data pad as Shepard continued down toward the stern. 

* * *

“I grew up on Eden Prime, Doc. It's not the kind of place Spectres visit. There's something Nihlus isn't telling us about this mission.” The young Corporal was nearly bouncing out of his boots.

“That's crazy. The Captain's in charge here. He wouldn't take orders from a Spectre.” The doctor replied with a familiar tone.

“Not his choice, Doc. Spectres don't answer to anyone. They can do whatever they want. Kill anyone who gets in their way.” His eyes sparkled.

“Ha! You watch too many spy vids, Jenkins.”

 

Shepard smiled as she approached the pair in front of the conference room. It was good to work with Dr. Chawkwas again, with the captain ,and engineer adams The Normandy already felt like home.

Jenkins turned to her, buzzing with adrenalin. 

“What do you think, Commander? We won't be staying on Eden Prime too long, will we? I'm itching for some real action!”

“I sincerely hope you're kidding, Corporal. Your "real action" usually ends with me patching up crew members in the infirmary.” Chawkwas was a real grounding presence, one that helped to keep things in perspective. Jenkins was a promising soldier, full of energy but he was green. 

“Relax . You need to calm down, Corporal. A good soldier stays cool, even under fire.” Shepard stressed the importance of staying focused and the reality of going into the field. _It was no picnic._

**“** Sorry, Commander. But this waiting's killing me. I've never been on a mission like this before. Not one with a Spectre on board!”

“You'll do fine. Just treat this like every other assignment you've had and everything will work out.”

“Easy for you to say. You proved yourself in the Blitz. Everybody knows what you can do. This is my big chance. I need to show the brass what I can do!”

Shepard shook her head slightly, “You're young, Corporal. You have a long career ahead of you. Don't do something stupid to mess it up.”

“Don't worry, Ma’am. I'm not gonna screw this up.”

 

Jenkins seemed to calm down, and Shepard took this opportunity to see if the two of them had anymore intel on the situation. ”What can you tell me about Nihlus?”

The doctor answered in her typical controlled manor, “Turians are generally well-respected by the other species. Their fleet has more patrols protecting Citadel space than any other. They don't always get on well with us, though. Some people find them... too rigid. Others still blame them for the First Contact War. As for Nihlus, I haven't said more than two words to him. He usually only speaks to the Captain.”

Jenkins response was much more romanticized,” I hope we get a chance to see him in action. I heard Nihlus once took down an entire enemy platoon all by himself!”

Shepard smiled slightly and turned back to the doctor, “What do you know about the Spectres?”

“Only what I've heard. Spectre agents work directly for the Citadel Council. They usually work alone or in small groups. Spectres don't have any official power, though. Basically, they're a shadow organization with a mandate to preserve and protect galactic stability.”

“Protect it at any cost. Don't forget that part!” Jenkins jumped in, “Spectres operate above the law!”

“Why don't we have any of our own people in there?” Shepard asked.

“Spectres usually come from the Council races. Like the turians,” The doctor gestured, “We've been trying to get a human accepted into their ranks for years now. So far, it hasn't happened.” 

“Hey, Commander! You'd make a good Spectre!” Jenkins looked at the Commander with admiration, “You're a war hero, right? Held off an entire enemy fleet during the Blitz single handed. That's the kind of talent the Spectres are looking for!”

Shepard looked down modestly, she just wanted to keep them safe. It wasn’t anything special. Chawkwas saved the Commander from the spotlight, “This is all just wild speculation. The Spectres aren't interested in recruiting humans. No matter how capable.”

“How do you control agents with unlimited power?” she asked.

The doctor considered the question momentary, “I suppose the Council could revoke the Spectre's status of an agent who got out of hand. At that point, Citadel Security Services would take over.”

“Those C-Sec grunts wouldn't stand a chance. A Spectre's worth twenty ordinary soldiers.The Spectres police themselves. An agent goes rogue, they send another agent to take 'em down. That's Spectre justice!”

“The Corporal's confusing romantic legends with reality, Commander.”

 

Shepard smiled, “You're from Eden Prime, aren't you, Jenkins? What's it like?”

“It's very peaceful, Commander. They've been real careful with development, so you don't have any city noise or pollution. My parents lived on the outskirts of the colony. At night, I used to climb this big hill and stare across the fields back at the lights from the main settlement. It was gorgeous. But when I got older, I realized it was a little too calm and quiet for me. That's why I joined the Alliance. Even paradise gets boring after a while.” 

“Any idea why Eden Prime was chosen as our destination?”

“Not really sure, Commander. Eden Prime's one of our most stable colonies. Good place to take the Normandy for her shakedown run, I guess. No real danger there. But there's got to be something else going on. We've got a Spectre onboard! That's why I'm so wound up. I can't wait for the real mission to start!” 

 

Shepard figured she had all the information she could get, plus she had kept the Captain waiting long enough, she bid the two of them goodbye and left for the conference room. 

 


	17. Things Just Got Complicated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard Finds out what's Really Going On.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2nd draft

** Shepard **

** Chapter Twenty One - Things Just Got Complicated **

 

** Conference Room, Normandy SR-1 **

** Eden Prime, 2183 C.E   **

 

Shepard entered the conference room for her debriefing, but Anderson was not there. Instead, the Turian specter, Nihlus was standing there with his back turned. 

“ Commander Shepard. I was hoping you'd get here first. It will give us a chance to talk.”His dual tone voice was intriguing to listen to. Shepard had always loved hearing Turian’s talk, and Nihlus was no exception. The majority of his face was covered in black face paint with his gray tone skin forming the normally colored designs. He was pretty turian.However, the crew was weary of him, and she intended to get to know him better. She wanted to know what his real deal was. 

“Ok. What about?”

Nihlus turned to face her, “ I'm interested in this world we're going to--Eden Prime. I've heard it's quite beautiful.”

“They say it's a paradise.” She shrugged.

“Yes... a paradise. Serene. Tranquil. Safe. Eden Prime has become something of a symbol for your people, hasn't it? Proof that humanity can not only establish colonies across the galaxy, but also protect them. But how safe is it really?”

Something about his phrasing was off-putting, but she wasn’t sure if it was just cultural disconnect. She hadn’t been around Turians enough to truly tell. “Do you know something?”

“Your people are still newcomers, Shepard. The galaxy can be a very dangerous place. Is the Alliance truly ready for this?”

 

“I think it's about time we told the Commander what's really going on.” Captain Anderson’s voice emerged behind the Commander, announcing his arrival.

Nihlus nodded, “This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run.”

Shepard crossed her arms, _that was blatantly obvious_. “I figured there was something you weren't telling us.”

Anderson came clean. “ We're making a covert pickup on Eden Prime. That's why we needed the stealth systems operational.”

She turned to David,“There must be a reason you didn't tell me about this, sir.” He wouldn’t lie to her for nothing.

 

“This comes down from the top, Commander. Information strictly on a need-to-know basis.” He reassured her, “A research team on Eden Prime unearthed some kind of beacon during an excavation. It was Prothean.”

Her eyes widened, “I thought the Protheans vanished fifty thousand years ago!”

“Their legacy still remains,” Nihlus explained,”The mass relays, the Citadel, our ship drives—it's all based on Prothean technology.”

“This is big, Shepard. The last time humanity made a discovery like this, it jumped our technology forward two hundred years. “ The captain articulated with his hands, “But Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities to handle something like this. We need to bring the beacon back to the Citadel for proper study.”

“Obviously, this goes beyond mere human interests, Commander.” The dual tone voice chimed in, “This discovery could affect every species in Council space.”

 

Shepard nodded, “It never hurts to have a few extra hands onboard.”

“The beacon's not the only reason I'm here, Shepard.”

“Nihlus wants to see you in action, Commander. He's here to evaluate you.” The Captain answered the anticipated question.

 

She shrugged, “Guess that explains why I bump into him every time I turn around.”

“The Alliance has been pushing for this for a long time. Humanity wants a larger role in shaping interstellar policy. We want more say with the Citadel Council.” Anderson emphasized the importance of the situation, “The Spectres represent the Council's power and authority. If they accept a human into their ranks, it shows how far the Alliance has come.” 

“You held off an enemy assault during the Blitz single-handed. You showed not only courage but also incredible skill.” Nihlus elaborated,” That's why I put your name forward as a candidate for the Spectres.”

Shepard turned towards him, her eyebrows crinkled in confusion,“ I assume this is good for the Alliance Captain?”

Anderson nodded softly, “Earth needs this, Shepard. We're counting on you.”

 

Shepard still had numerous questions, but she trusted Anderson implicitly, “Just tell me what I have to do.”

 

“I need to see your skills for myself, Commander. “ Nihlus said, ”Eden Prime will be the first of several missions together.”

“You'll be in charge of the ground team. Secure the beacon and get it into the ship asap. Nihlus will accompany you to observe the mission.” 

 

“Just give the word, Captain.” Shepard was eager to secure this beacon, she wanted to know more about the Protheans. Everything about the galaxy and its inhabitants fascinated her after spending so long on Earth. She wanted to know everything about the stars and to connect with those who lived there first. It was all so intriguing to the young commander.

 

“We should be getting close to Eden—“ The captain was interrupted by Joker’s urgent voice over the comm system.

 

“Captain! We've got a problem.”

“What's wrong, Joker?”

“Transmission from Eden Prime, Sir. You better see this!”

“Bring it up onscreen.”

 

The three turned their attention to the garbled helmet cam video on the screen. Gunshots were heard clearly as the soldier was pushed to the ground by a female soldier in white and pink Phoenix medium armor. Her order to the officer came through over the comm, “Get down!” as the image showed her aiming her assault riffle towards an unknown enemy. The sky was orange and dusty as the officer transmitted an SOS. “We are under attack! Taking heavy casualties.” the image blurred to mainly shades of brown and red rocks, “I repeat, heavy casualties! We can't... “ his voice was garbled as an explosion sounded in the distance,”argh! … --eed evac! They came out of nowhere. We need—“ 

 

Joker’s voice replaced the transmission, “Everything cuts out after that. No comm traffic at all. Just goes dead. There's nothing.”

Anderson’s voice was urgent yet collected, “Reverse and hold at thirty-eight point five.”

The image on screen appeared to be a massive ship, but it was unlike anything Shepard had ever seen. Her eyebrows furrowed as she studied the dark metallic claws of the insect like ship. Electric currents raced around the arms in a red hue. _This couldn’t be good._

 

“ Status report.” David asked Joker.

“Seventeen minutes out, Captain. No other Alliance ships in the area.”

 

“Take us in, Joker. Fast and quiet. This mission just got a lot more complicated.”

 

 


	18. Approaching Drop Point One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard Prepares the Ground Team

** Shepard **

** Chapter Twenty Two - Approaching Drop Point One **

 

** Cargo Hold, Normandy SR-1 **

** Eden Prime, 2183 C.E   **

Nihlus and the Captain were quick to form a plan of attack. The turian’s military upbringing brought out the strategist in him, “A small strike team can move quickly without drawing attention. It's our best chance to secure the beacon.” He was a Specter for a reason. Fast thinking and adapting to situations in an instant made for an immersive display. 

The Alliance captain nodded, and started to head towards the Normandy’s command center. “Shepard, grab your gear and meet us in the cargo hold. Tell Alenko and Jenkins to suit up, Commander. You're going in.” She nodded and quickly sprang into action. After alerting her crew mates, she headed down into the ship’s hold. 

Alenko was already there changing into his faded navy blue light armor. He was focused and efficient and Shepard could tell he would stay calm on the ground. She stripped down and stepped into her light N7 armor. It was various shades of gray and black and offered excellent flexibility. On her right arm was a red strip starting at her shoulder and flowing down to her wrist. It was outlined with white and black that matched her N7 designation on her chest plate. 

As she secured her gloves and bent down to buckle her boots, Jenkins ran into the bay and began frantically dressing in his medium gray armor. Standard Alliance issue. Kaidan was headed towards the armory bench as he called out to the corporal, “ Jenkins, take a breath.” 

 

“Yes sir!.” He replied as he focused on clipping his helmet on. 

 

Shepard headed over to the bench where Alenko was loading his pistol. “ Thanks for that.” she said reaching for the corrosive rounds. 

 

“No problem ma’am.” The lt. answered slightly surprised, “Jenkins can get excited.”

 

Shepard chuckled as her pistol folded behind her shoulder blade, “That’s a bit of an understatement,” she began loading her shotgun with cryo rounds, “Glad to see you care about your teammates lieutenant, happy to have you on the ground.” 

“ Thank you ma’am. Just doing my job.” Alenko was glad his helmet was on as he felt his face flush at the unexpected compliment. He cleared his throat, “ just doing my job.” He quickly headed towards the cargo hold. 

What was his deal? There was no reason for him to react to a commendation from a superior officer. He was being ridiculous. 

Shepard folded her shotgun in the small of her back as Jenkins arrived at the equipment bench. She put her hand on his shoulder, “ You're going to do great Jenkins, stay calm and stay focused. I need you out there corporal.” 

 

He nodded, his eyes focused yet betraying youthful admiration “ I won’t let you down ma’am!” 

 

“ I know you won’t.” She gave him a reassuring smile and headed towards the cargo hold. 

* * *

Joker’s voice signaled their approach to Eden Prime, “Engaging stealth systems. Somebody was doing some serious digging here, Captain.”

 

Anderson stood in the cargo hold addressing the ground team consisting of Shepard, Alenko, and Jenkins. Nihlus was checking the scope of his assault riffle a little to the left of the Alliance team as they awaited instructions. 

“Your team's the muscle in this operation, Commander.” Anderson stated over the whoosh of the engine. “Go in heavy and head straight for the dig site.”

 

“What about survivors, Captain?” Lt.Alenko’s warm voice came from behind the commander. 

 

“Helping survivors is a secondary objective. The beacon's your top priority.”

 

Shepard nodded, as Joker signaled their nearing the first drop point. Nihlus stepped closer to the edge of the hold, assault riffle at the ready.

 

“Nihlus? You're coming with us?” Jenkins asked, a tint of hope on his lips.

 

“I move faster on my own.” the specter stated simply.

 

“Nihlus will scout out ahead.” Anderson elaborated, “He'll feed you status reports throughout the mission; otherwise, I want radio silence.”

“We've got his back, Captain.” the commander confirmed as Nihlus jumped out as they reached the first drop point. Shepard and the ground team readied for deployment. “ watch each other’s backs, we are facing an unknown enemy and we cannot afford to be careless. Stick together and follow my lead!” 

“ Yes ma’am” the two men saluted as Joker came over the comm.

 

“ We are approaching drop point two.”

 

“ Good luck Commander!” Anderson stated as the ground team exited the Normandy at the second drop point.

 

 


	19. Eden Prime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission on Eden Prime doesn't go as planned.

** Shepard **

** Chapter Twenty Three - Eden Prime **

 

** Colony Outskirts **

** Eden Prime, 2183 C.E   **

The air was think and full of smoke. You could see that this was once a beautiful colony, but the flames and gunfire in the distance more than detracted from the pristine paradise pictured in postcards. 

Jenkins was frozen, his home colony was being destroyed. His eyes no longer had that excited sparkle but his mouth was open in disbelief. Shepard reached out and placed her hands on his shoulder. 

“ I need you to stay focused Corporal, we will get through this.” 

The marine nodded slowly and found his resolve. _He was going to be ok._ Shepard didn’t envy him, this kid was lucky enough to have a home… _no one should have to see that destroyed._

“ Ship perimeter secure, Commander!” Kaidan’s voice came from near the lake on the base of the hill. The Commander and Jenkins headed down to his position. Right behind the lieutenant emerged a floating creature. It was green with a big pink sack that took up most of his body. His little legs dangling limp at the base just above the ground. Kaidan jumped back at the sight of it. “ What the hell are those!” 

“ Gas bags. Don't worry--they're harmless.” Jenkins reassured the startled lt. The spooky atmosphere had left them all a bit on edge.

“We need to move on.” Shepard led the ground team around a rocky formation. 

“Oh God. What happened here?” Jenkins froze as they encountered two human bodies, completely blackened having been burned to a crisp. 

“ Smells like smoke and death.” Alenko noted, _not entirely wrong, but not helpful either._

Shepard looked at Jenkins, figuring he could use some reassurance, “It’s our job to save these people Corporal. We cannot risk waiting around. Stay focused.” She felt for him, but this wasn’t the time to grieve. They had to power through. Jenkins nodded and followed the commander towards the edge of the cliff.  

She signaled for them to halt as she peered behind the rocky ledge they were using as cover. The coast was clear and she signaled for the two men to head for cover behind the opposite rock formation. As Jenkins approached the rock, two gun drones emerged from the hill in the distance and fired at him. “Argh!” Jenkins screamed as he dropped to the ground. He wasn’t moving.

Shepard slammed the first droneinto pieces with her biotics as Kaidan sent the second one flying toward a tree. They both waited to make sure more were emerging before Kaidan knelt down over the corporal. Besides being a sentinel and a biotic, He also was certified as a field medic, he was able to patch up most common combat wound in a pinch. _Handy._

Kaidan sighed and closed the corporal’s eyes before standing up, “ Ripped right though his shields. Never had a chance.” he looked at the commander with concern. _Jenkins had been so alive just seconds ago, but now…_

Shepard felt her heart drop over the side of the cliff. She had given the go ahead. She had killed him. _He didn’t deserve it. There was so much potential!_ She snapped herself out of it. She had to stay focused, as commanding officer she couldn’t let her subordinates see her crumble. She faced the lieutenant.

“ We'll see that he receives a proper service once the mission is complete.” She let her emotion slip through before correcting herself, “But I need you to stay focused. “

Kaidan understood. They would grieve later. “Aye aye, Ma’am.”

The two marines headed up the hill taking out about a dozen more drones on their path. Nihlus’s voice came through their ears updating his position. “‘I’ve got some burned out buildings here, Shepard. A lot of bodies. I'm gonna check it out. I'll try to catch up with you at the dig site.”

She copied as Kaidan shoot his head slightly. “ Eden prime will never be the same.”

* * *

 

Ashley’s heart was beating out of her chest as she squared with her back against a red rock clinging to her riffle. She could hear the robotic chatter behind her. 

_Shit. What are they doing!_.She took a silent breath as she ventured a look behind her. 

She wished she didn't. 

Two robotic figures with flashlights as heads were lifting the body of her recently fallen comrades. They laid the body on a metal stand before pressing a button. A sharp metal spike pierced through the corpse of her teammate, impaling them up in the air. Ashley let out an audible gasp before diving back behind her rock. They knew she was there. Adrenaline was surging through her body as the robots fired at her position. 

_Ok. Hold on Ash, you can do this._ she thought to herself, but she was panicked and it was hard to think clearly. She crouched behind the rock and braced herself. 

Her eyes jolted open when she felt a biotic barrier encase her. Two marines had materialized in front of her and were taking out the robots fast. She peered out with her riffle and took out one of the damn things with her new found adrenaline induced focus. 

She didn’t stop shooting until the last one was down. 

Her thoughts were going about a mile a minute when the fighting was finally over. 

 

She turned and faced the two marines and got straight to business. 

* * *

“Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212. You the one in charge here, ma’am?” She was still catching her breath. 

Shepard spoke calmly, “Are you wounded, Williams?”

 

_Doesn't matter!_ she thought, “A few scrapes and burns. Nothing serious.” Ashley drew in a breath, “The others weren't so lucky.”

She was still stuck in a combat high, Shepard stuck to protocol, for marines it was second nature and would be the easiest way for her to get her thoughts across. “ Give me a status report, Williams.”

“Oh man... “ The Chief began pacing, “We were patrolling the perimeter when the attack hit. We tried to get off a distress call, but they cut off our communications. I've been fighting for my life ever since.”

 

“Where's the rest of your squad?”

“We were sent out a couple nights ago from the main colony to secure the area. Seemed like a routine patrol, until the Synthetics hit us. We never knew they were coming. We tried to double back to the beacon. But we walked into an ambush. I don't think any of the others…” she shut her eyes for a moment, “I think I'm the only one left.”

 

“This isn't your fault, Williams. You couldn't have done anything to save them.” 

 

**“** Yes, Ma’am. We held our position as long as we could. Until they overwhelmed us.”

 

She still hadn't really come to terms with what happened, _better to stay focused on the mission at hand_. “Any idea what kind of enemy we're facing?”

 

**“** I think they're Geth.”

 

“The geth haven't been seen outside the Veil in nearly two hundred years.” Kaidan chimed in, “Why are they here now?”

 

Ashly shrugged, “They must have come for the beacon. The dig site is close. Just over that rise. It might still be there.”

 

“What else do you know about the Geth?” Shepard asked, her knowledge of the synthetics was extremely limited.

“Just what I remember from history class back in high school. They're synthetics. Non-organic lifeforms with limited AI programming, created by the Quarians a few centuries ago. They were supposed to be a source of cheap labor, but ended up turning on the Quarians and drove them into exile. After that, they just kind of disappeared behind the Perseus Veil. Nobody's really heard much from them since.”

 

_Let's just make things more complicated_ , “Tell me everything you know about the beacon.”

“They were doing some digging out here to extend the monorail and expand the colony. A few weeks ago they unearthed some Prothean ruins... and the beacon. Suddenly every scientific expert in the colony was interested. That's when they brought us in to secure the site. I don't know much about the beacon itself, but I heard one of the researchers say this could be the biggest scientific discovery of the century.”

 

“What happened to the researchers at the dig site?”

 

“I don't know. They set up camp near the beacon. The 232 was with them. Maybe their unit fared better than mine.”

“Have you seen a turian Spectre around here?”

 

“There aren't any turians on Eden Prime. None that I've ever met. Not sure I'd be able to tell if one was a Spectre, anyway.” 

 

“If you saw this guy, you'd know. Carries enough firepower to wipe out a whole platoon.” Kaidan added, “Luckily, he's on our side.”

 

Ashly shrugged, “Sorry. Like I said, no turians.”

 

“We could use your help, Williams.” Shepard said, she wasn’t about to leave her alone. 

“Aye aye, Ma’am. “ The chief was all business, “It's time for payback.”

 

Ashley led them towards the dig site, past the spikes the Geth had set up. 

“ Impaling victims instead of just shooting them…” Ashley shook her head in disgust, “there must be some reason behind it.”

“Classic psychological warfare. They're using terror as a weapon.” Kaidan said. “ That man was still alive when they stuck him on the spike.”

Ashley scoffed, “Killing us isn't enough. The Geth want us to suffer.”

 

The three of them encountered another pocket of Geth activity, but this time they were prepared. Shepard threw out biotic pulses while Ashley took them out one by one with her assault riffle. Kaidan kept setting up barriers, the three of them made an excellent team and Shepard made a mental note to talk to Anderson about Ashley after they rejoined the Normandy. They reached a small area filled with various excavation equipment and piles of dirt. 

 

“This is the dig site.” Ashley said. “The beacon was right here. It must have been moved.”

“By who? Our side? Or the Geth?” asked the sentinel.

“Hard to say. Maybe we'll know more after we check out the research camp.”

Shepard looked around, “ You think anyone got out of here alive? “

****“If they were lucky. Maybe hiding up in the camp. It's just on the top of this ridge. Up the ramps.”

As they headed up towards the camp, Nihlus’s voice came over, “Change of plans, Shepard. There's a small spaceport up ahead. I want to check it out. I'll wait for you there.” 

They reached the top of the ramp to see the camp in ruins. “Looks like they hit the camp hard.” Ashley remarked, debris and scattered flames were everywhere.

“It's a good place for an ambush,” said Kaidan,“Keep your guard up.”

A sound drew their attention as one of the spikes retracted. The corpse previously impaled was grey and emitted a jolt of blue electrical current before starting dismounting from the pike.

“Oh, god! They're still alive!” Kaidan shouted as other spikes began to retract.

The husks headed strait for them as Shepard sent out a biotic shockwave, toppling them to the ground.

“What did the Geth do to them?” Ashley yelled as she used her shotgun to put down the monstrous creations.

“Now we know what those spikes are for: turning our own dead against us.”

“It must take a few hours for those spikes to turn people into husks.”

 

After the last of the husks was down, Shepard headed towards a unit with the security lock engaged. She hacked it swiftly and the door whooshed open. 

“Humans! Thank the maker!” 

“Hurry! Close the door! Before they come back!”

Inside were two scientists, clearly relieved to see friendlies. 

“ Don't worry. We'll protect you.” Shepard reassured them.

“Thank you. I think we'll be okay now. It looks like everyone's gone.”

“You're Doctor Warren, the one in charge of the excavation.” Ashley said to the redheaded scientist, “Do you know what happened to the beacon?”

“It was moved to the spaceport this morning. Manuel and I stayed behind to help pack up the camp.” She wrung her hands together, “When the attack came, the marines held them off long enough for us to hide. They gave their lives to save us.”

“No one is saved. The age of humanity is ended. Soon, only ruin and corpses will remain.” Manuel stated, practically proclaiming that the end is nigh. Shepard figured she wouldn’t get much out of him. 

She turned back to Doctor Warren, “What else can you tell me about the attack?”

“It all happened so fast. One second we were gathering up our equipment. The next, we were hiding in the shed while the Geth swarmed over the camp.”

Manuel muttered to himself, “Agents of the destroyers. Bringers of darkness. Heralds of our extinction.” _Spooky._

“We could hear the battle outside. Gunfire. Screams. I thought it would never end. Then, everything went quiet. We just sat there, too afraid to move. Until you came along.”

“ Did you notice a Turian in the area?” The commander asked.

“I saw him.” said Manuel, “The prophet. Leader of the enemy. He was here, before the attack.”

“That's impossible.” Kaidan said, “Nihlus was with us on the Normandy before the attack. He couldn't have been here.”

“I’m sorry.” Dr. Warren took over, “Manuel's still a bit... unsettled. We haven't seen your turian. We've been hiding in here since the attack.”

Shepard nodded, “Can you tell me anything about the beacon?”

“It's some type of data module from a galaxy-wide communications network. Remarkably well preserved. It could be the greatest scientific discovery of our lifetime! Miraculous new technologies. Groundbreaking medical advances. Who knows what secrets are locked inside?”

Manuel began muttering again, “We have unearthed the heart of evil. Awakened the beast. Unleashed the darkness.” _not a fan of the beacon I see._

Dr. Warren lost her patience, “Manuel! Please! This isn't the time.”

“Is he ok?” Shepard asked, genuinely concerned for the doctor’s wellbeing, and the ominous nature of her assistant's comments.

“Manuel has a brilliant mind, but he's always been a bit... unstable.” the doctor wrung her hands nervously,“Genius and madness are two sides of the same coin.”

“ Is it madness to see the future?”Manuel proclaimed, “To see the destruction rushing towards us? To understand there is no escape? No hope? No, I am not mad. I'm the only sane one left!” 

“I gave him an extra dose of his meds after the attack.” 

Shepard figured they would be safe in here, but they needed to secure the beacon soon. “ Williams, take us to the spaceport.”

“You can't stop it. Nobody can stop it. Night is falling. The darkness of eternity.” Manuel muttered ominously as they began to head towards the beacon.

“Hush, Manuel. Go lie down. You'll feel better once the medication kicks in. Good luck Commander.” Dr. Warren wished as the door closed behind them.

* * *

 

Nihlus had reached the spaceport, it wasn’t pretty. Most of it was in flames as he looked through the scope of his rifle. He was surprised to see a familiar grey head in his sights. He lowered his riffle and addressed the figure. “Saren?”

The other turian turned around, “Nihlus.” His face was bare but had faint blue streaks that glowed with signs of electric implants. 

“This isn't your mission, Saren. What are you doing here?”

Saren put his hand on Nihlus’s shoulder as he walked past him, “The Council thought you could use some help with this one.”

Nihlus relaxed, “I wasn't expecting to find the Geth here. The situation's bad.”

“Don't worry.” Saren said as he lined his pistol up with the back of his friend’s head,

“I've got it under control.”

* * *

The three marines reached the top of the hill overlooking the spaceport. the sky was dark with smoke and a familiar figure emerged in the distance. 

“ What is that? Off in the distance.” Kaidan asked as they arrived at the overlook of the spaceport.

“It's a ship. Look at the size of it!” said Ashley.

It was the same one on the transmission they and received on the Normandy. As it departed an eery hum filled the air, making it difficult for them to think. _We need to keep moving._

About halfway down the hill was another unit with the security lock engaged. Shepard unlocked it with little hassle.

 

“Everybody stay calm out there. We're coming out. We're not armed.” A man in a beanie stepped out with his hands in the air. 

“You're okay now. Nobody's gonna hurt you.” Shepard said as a third colonist emerged. 

**“** Those things were crawling all around the shed. They would have found us for sure. We owe you our lives.” the man with the beanie let his hands drop. 

“ I--I still can't believe it. When we saw that ship I thought it was all over!” The girl held on to the man’s shoulders, clearly traumatized. 

He held her closer, “It showed up right before the attack. Knew it was trouble the second I saw it. So we made a break for the sheds.”

“Tell me everything you remember about the attack.” Shepard asked.

“The three of us were working the crops when that ship showed up.” The man said “We just saw it and ran. I don't know what happened to the rest of the crew”

The second man spoke for the first time, “They were by the garage. Over near the spaceport. Right where that ship came down. No way they survived.”

His comment almost had the girl in tears, “You don't know that! We survived. If they made it to the garage, they could've had a fighting chance!” 

“Do you know anything about the Prothean beacon they dug up?” Shepard asked as the man held the girl tight. 

“We're just farmers. We heard they found something out there, but it never really mattered to us. Not until now.”

“What else can you tell me about the ship you saw?” _anything would be helpful._

“I was too busy running to get a clear look at it. I think it landed over near the spaceport.”

“ Tell them about the noise, Cole.” the girl looked at the man with the beanie before burring her face in his chest, “That awful noise.”

“ It was emitting some kind of signal as it descended. Sounded like the shriek of the damned. Only it was coming from inside your own head.”

“It was probably trying to block communications.” Shepard had heard it too, but she figured they would be better off thinking the noise was something they understood. 

“Whatever it was, felt like it was tearing right through my skull. Almost made it impossible to think.”

They were clearly traumatized and didn’t know anything else, “ I’ll make sure someone comes to get you.” Shepard said as she turned towards the spaceport. 

 

 

“Hey, Cole. We're just a bunch of farmers. These guys are soldiers. Maybe we should give them the stuff.”

“Geez, Blake. You gotta learn when to shut up!”

Shepard turned back and gave Cole a knowing look, “you have something to tell me, Cole?”

Cole wrung his hands sheepishly, “ some of us were involved in a smuggling ring, taking a few things here and their from the shipments down at the spaceport, we have a few packages stored here in this unit. “

“What kind of packages?” Ashley asked pointedly.

“I found a pistol. Figured it would come in handy if those things came back. But you'll probably get more use out of it than we will.”

“ We're risking our lives to save this colony. You sure there's nothing else in here that could help us out?” At this point she would take anything she could get. 

“Yeah, there's one more thing. I was going to sell it after this was over. But you probably deserve it more than I do.” Cole handed over an omnitool which Shepard gave to Kaidan. 

“This should help. Let's move out.” 

Before they could leave Ashley blurted out, “Who's your contact at the spaceport, Cole? What's his name?”

“ He's not a bad guy. I don't wanna get him in trouble. Besides, I'm not a snitch”

Ashley had a point, “He might have something to do with this whole attack, Cole. We need his name.” Shepard added, “It's important.”

“ Yeah, okay. You're right. His name's Powell. Works the docks at the spaceport. If he's still alive.”

“ Thanks Cole, lay low and we will make sure someone finds you when its all clear.”

“Good luck.”

 

The marines continued to the base of the hill were the spaceport lay nestled in flames. They spread out to search the perimeter when Shepard heard Kaidan call out from the center of the port.

“Commander. It's Nihlus.”

Shepard hurried over where the Turian lay in a puddle of blue blood, he had been shot in the back of the head. _Damn it!_

 She bent down when Ashly drew her pistol,

“Something's moving! Over behind those crates.”

“Wait! Don’t--don't shoot! I'm one of you! I'm human!” came the dockworker’s shaky voice. His eyes were sleepy and he was clearly upset. 

Shepard holstered her weapon, “ you need to be more careful, Sneaking up on us like that nearly got you killed!”

“I... I'm sorry. I was hiding. From those creatures.” he looked down before continuing, “My name's Powell. I saw what happened to that turian. The other one shot him.”

Shepard furrowed her brows, “You're saying Nihlus was murdered by a turian? not the Geth?”

Powell nodded, “The other one got here first. He was waiting when your friend showed up. He called him "Saren."I think they knew each other. Your friend seemed to relax. He let his guard down... and Saren killed him. Shot him right in the back. I'm just lucky he didn't see me behind the crates.”

“Where'd Saren go after he killed Nihlus?”

“He jumped on the cargo train and headed over to the other platform. Probably going after The beacon.I knew that beacon was trouble. Everything's gone to hell since we found it. First that damn mother ship showed up. Then the attack. They killed everyone. Everyone! If I hadn't been behind the crates I'd be dead, too!”

“Tell me about this "mother ship" you saw.”

“It was huge, and it made this horrible hum. It was like it came from inside your brain. That's what woke me up. The attack came a few minutes later.”

“You were sleeping? I thought you were working here on the docks.”

“I… sometimes I need a nap to get through my shift. I sneak off behind the crates to grab forty winks where the supervisor can't find me.”

Ashley almost had a fit, “You survived because you're lazy?”

Shepard figured he had been through enough, “If you hadn't snuck off for that nap you'd probably be dead just like all the others.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess. I don't really want to think about it.” Powell looked down. 

“You're Cole's contact here on the docks. For the smuggling ring.”

“What? No! I mean... what does it matter now? So I'm a smuggler. Who cares? My supervisor's dead. The entire crew's dead. It doesn't matter now, does it?”

“Anything hidden nearby that we could use against the Geth?”

“A shipment of grenades came through last week. Nobody notices if a few small pieces go missing from the military orders.”

“You greedy son of a bitch!” Ashly scolded, “We're out here trying to protect your sorry ass and all you can think about is how you can rip us off?!”

Powell raised his hand defensively, “I never thought you'd actually need those grenades! Who'd want to attack Eden Prime? We're just a bunch of farmers! How was I supposed to know?”

“You're lucky the Commander's here, Powell. Hand over those grenades.” Ashly begrudgingly complied. 

“They're yours. Take them. My smuggling days are over. I swear.”

“A lot of marines died here, Powell. Those grenades could have come in handy.” The commander added, “If I were you, I'd think of some way to make it up to them.”

“Yeah. Okay. There is something else I was saving. Could be worth a fortune. Experimental technology. Top of the line. Take it. I don't need it. I didn't want anyone to get hurt. Really. I'm sorry.”

“We need to find that beacon before it's too late. “

“Take the cargo train. That's where the other turian went. I... I can't stay here. I need to get away from all this.”

* * *

Saren looked at the beacon and smiled to himself. All he had to do was use it. He turned towards a nearby Geth, “Set the charges. Destroy the entire colony. Leave no evidence that we were here.” The synthetic nodded and headed off as Saren turned back towards the beacon. As he approached it, he was engulfed in a green light and lifted up into the air.

* * *

 

The Marines made it to the other platform where they were greeted by the Geth welcoming comity, “Demolition charges! The Geth must have planted them.” Kaidan called out as they ducked behind cover. 

“I’ll cover you while you disarm them!” Shepard called out as he began diffusing the first bomb. _He was fast with his fingers._

Shepard covered them in a biotic barrier and threw out a stasis as they ran across the bridge to the second charge. 

“Hurry! We need to find them all and shut them down!” Ashley urged as she took out another Geth with her trusty assault riffle. 

“This one is done Commander!” Kaidan informed as the three of them steadily made there way up to the third one. He disarmed it swiftly as Shepard and Ashley took out the remaining enemy forces. 

“ I think thats all of them Commander. “ Kaidan’s whiskey flavored voice reached Shepard’s ears. 

She smiled and relaxed slightly, “ Nice work Alenko. “ She touched his shoulder gently as she walked past him. 

“ Thank you ma’am.” Kaidan said as a means of recovery from the warmth he had felt when she touchedhim.He coughed slightly when he made eye contact with the chief who gave him a knowing smirk. “ Nice Going LT.” She turned to follow the commander while he shook his head. _Stupid._ He thought, as he trailed behind the two women. 

 

 

“There it is!” Ashley called out. “ The beacon!” 

“ Finally!” Shepard let out a sigh of relief, “Normandy, the beacon is secure. Requesting immediate Evac.”

The beacon was a tall metallic structure that had a green aura around it that was shooting into the sky above. 

Kaidan couldn’t help but be in awe of it as he approached it to get a closer look. “This is amazing. Actual working Prothean technology. Unbelievable!”

“It wasn't doing anything like that when they dug it up. Something must have activated it.” Ashley said as the Commander finished her call.

 

“Roger, Normandy. Standing by.” Shepard turned towards the beacon as a green light engulfed Kaidan, he hunched over and dragged his feet as the beam pulled him closer and closer to the beacon. Without hesitation, Shepard pushed Ashley out of the way and ran towards the LT. 

_I won’t lose another!_

She wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled him out of the traction. Kaidan rolled onto the floor as ashley ran towards him. As she reached him Shepard was pulled into the beam and was lifted up about four feet from the ground. 

 

“Shepard!” Kaidan called out and began to reach for her as Ashley held him back, 

“ No! Don't touch her! It's too dangerous!”

Just as she said that the beacon exploded and Shepard fell to the floor. 

He ran towards her, she was unconscious. “ Normandy we need immediate evac, the commander has been hurt!” Ashley radioed in as the Normandy reached their position. 

Kaidan lifted the Commander into his arms and carried her onto the ship. He felt like an idiot. 


	20. Turian Temper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saren Throws A Fit

** SAREN **

** Chapter Twenty Five - Turian Temper **

 

** Cockpit **

** Sovereign, 2183 C.E   **

 

Saren sat in the command center aboard his massive dreadnaught. The attack on Eden Prime, was a bit messier then he would have liked. He scratched the top of his head with his talons, easing a never ceasing headache from the persistent buzz of the ship. His thoughts were interrupted by a slight cough from behind him.  He didn't even bother to turn around as an Asari Matriarch gave him a report,

 

“We identified the ship that touched down on Eden Prime. The Normandy. A human Alliance vessel. It was under the command of Captain Anderson. They managed to save the colony.” Her voice was slightly monotonous and seductive.

 

_Of course it was Anderson, he was always going to be a pain_ , “And the beacon?” He growled.

“One of the humans may have used it.”

 

He flew into a fit of rage, tossing data pads onto the floor and roaring. He had little patience for failure, and the hum inside his mind was gradually evolving into a scream. Grabbing the Asari by the neck, he cradled her face in his talons, as he regained his composure. He leaned in closely and growled as he gave his orders. 

 

“This human must be eliminated.”

 


	21. Strange Dreams & New Teams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ground team from Eden Prime deal with the aftermath.

** Shepard **

** Chapter Twenty Seven- Strange Dreams & New Teams **

 

** Med Bay **

** Normandy SR-1, 2183 C.E   **

The medbay door swished open with a soft ding, announcing Kaidan’s arrival to the doctor. Karen swivels around in her desk chair to face the Lt. He was rubbing his head and he looked exhausted. 

“ Another Migraine, Alenko?” The doctor asked gently, she was already heading towards the dispenser. 

“ Ha, you know me so well Doctor.” His eyes squinted as he let out a painful chuckle. 

“ It’s my job. Have a seat.” She gestured to the table behind her. He followed her instructions and sat down, with his hand covering his forehead. He had to keep reminding himself that he was lucky this was the worst of his side affects, but right now he didn’t feel so lucky. Doctor Chakwas came over and injected a purplish fluid into his arm. 

“ You should feel better in a few minuets, if not come back and i’ll give you another dose.” 

“Thanks Doc,” his eyes drifted over to the far side of the room where Shepard was laying, “ How’s the commander?” 

The doctor disposed of the empty cartridge and glanced over at a data pad, “ She’s still unconscious, but no major damage.” She saw Kaidan’s face fall, “ She also appears to be dreaming.”

His eyes rested on her, his expression soft but his brows concerned. “ When will she wake up?”

“ Honestly, I’m not sure. It already been 10 hours.”, Doctor Chakwas examined the Lt’s expression, “ Kaidan, you should get some rest… If you want you can stay here. “

“ Thank you doctor.” He looked up at her, his eyes were full of guilt. Karen returned to her terminal to review her examinations of the Commander. 

“ This isn’t your fault, Kaidan.” The doctor reminded gently.

“ Feels like it is.” His eyes returned to Shepard, she was laying there so still. He was worried, her eyebrows were crinkled together like she was thinking hard. _First Jenkins, now Shepard. Way to go Alenko._  

“ Look after her, would you?” Kadain turned to look at the doctor. She was busy with her terminal, he looked back at Shepard, arms on his knees. 

“ Of course.” He said softly, his headache was fading, but his mind was still cloudy with guilt. _Please be ok._

* * *

“Doctor? Doctor Chakwas?”, a familiar whiskey voice found it’s way to Shepard’s ears as she regained consciousness. “I think she's waking up.”

She groaned slightly as she rubbed her head, she felt like her brains had been scrambled. She rolled onto her side and propped herself up as she head the Doctor’s soothing accent. 

“You had us worried there, Shepard. How are you feeling?”

“ Minor throbbing. Nothing serious.” She was fine, this was no time for her to be out of action. “How long was I out?”

“About fifteen hours. Something happened down there with the beacon, I think.”

“It’s my fault.” Shepard looked at the LT who was looking at her with concern, “I must have triggered some kind of security field when I approached it. You had to push me out of the way.” 

“You had no way to know what would happen.” She said gently, _he did nothing wrong._ Kaidan let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. 

“Actually, we don't even know if that's what set it off. Unfortunately, we'll never get the chance to find out.” Shepard looked at the doctor, her brows furrowed. 

“The beacon exploded.” Kaidan explained, “A system overload, maybe. The blast knocked you cold. Williams and I carried you back here to the ship.”

“ I appreciate it.” She said softly. Kaidan smiled gently at her words before Chakwas brought them back to reality. 

 

“Physically, you're fine. But I detected some unusual brain activity, abnormal beta waves. I also noticed an increase in your rapid eye movement, signs typically associated with intense dreaming.”

Shepard laid down on the table, “ I saw…” She closed her eyes to try and make sense of the images she had seen. “I’m not sure what I saw. Death. Destruction. Nothing's really clear.”

“Hmmm. I better add this to my report. It may--oh, Captain Anderson.”

“How's our XO holding up, Doctor?” The captain’s warm voice came in from the other side of the room. 

“All the readings look normal. I'd say the Commander's going to be fine.”

“Glad to hear it.”Shepard sat up and faced David, he looked relived to see her awake. “ Shepard, I need to speak with you--in private.”

Kaidan took that as his queue, “Aye aye, Captain. I'll be in the mess if you need me.” He gave a textbook salute and headed out of the medbay with a quiet whoosh. 

 

“Sounds like that beacon hit you pretty hard, Shep. You sure you're okay?” Anderson dropped some level of formality once they were alone.

Shepard looked down before answering his question, “ I don't like soldiers dying under my command.” 

“Jenkins wasn't your fault.” Her eyes betrayed her expression, “You did a good job, Shepard.”

She was going through the mission trying to piece together her thoughts, “we met gunnery chief Williams on Eden Prime, what happened to her?”

 

“I figured we could use a soldier like her. She's been reassigned to the Normandy.”

“ Williams is a good soldier.” She smiled, “She deserves it.”

“Lieutenant Alenko agrees with you. That's why I added her to our crew.”

 

 

“I'm pissed off about the geth. Intel dropped the ball, sir. We had no idea what we were walking into down there. That's why things went to hell!” Shepard didn’t mean to yell, she just was still processing how everything could go so poorly so fast. 

Anderson understood, “The geth haven't been outside the veil in two centuries, Commander. Nobody could have predicted this.” She had done well considering. 

She nodded, and recollected herself. “You said you needed to see me in private, Captain?”

 

 

 

“I won't lie to you, Shepard. Things look bad.” Anderson started to pace,“Nihlus is dead. The beacon was destroyed and Geth are invading. The Council's going to want answers.”

“I didn't do anything wrong, Captain. Hopefully, the Council can see that.”

“I'll stand behind you and your report, Shepard…You’re a damned hero in my books. That's not why I'm here. It's Saren. That other turian. Saren's a Spectre, one of the best. A living legend. But if he's working with the Geth, it means he's gone rogue. A rogue Spectre's trouble. Saren's dangerous. And he hates humans. “

 

“ Why?” _people keep making such general assumptions about everyone else…_

“He thinks we're growing too fast, taking over the galaxy. A lot of aliens think that way. Most of them don't do anything about it. But Saren has allied himself with the Geth. I don't know how. I don't know why. I only know it had something to do with that beacon.” He sat down on the table next to Shepard, “You were there just before that beacon self-destructed. Did you see anything? Any clue that might tell us what Saren was after?”

“I’m not sure…Just before I lost consciousness, I had some kind of vision.”

“A vision? A vision of what?”

“  I saw synthetics. Geth, maybe. Slaughtering people. Butchering them.” She closed her eyes, “ It felt like a warning.”

Anderson looked concerned, “We need to report this to the Council, Shepard.”

 

She looked at him like he was crazy, she felt crazy, “What are we gonna tell 'em? I had a bad dream?”

“We don't know what information was stored in that beacon. Lost Prothean technology? Blueprints for some ancient weapon of mass destruction? Whatever it was, Saren took it. But I know Saren. I know his reputation, his politics. He believes humans are a blight on the galaxy. This attack was an act of war! He has the secrets from the beacon. He has an army of geth at his command. And he won't stop until he's wiped humanity from the face of the galaxy!”

Anderson was all worked up, and she wasn't about to let him down, “I'll find some way to take him down.”

“ I love the enthusiasm Shep, but It's not that easy. He's a Spectre. He can go anywhere, do almost anything. That's why we need the Council on our side.”

“We prove Saren's gone rogue and the Council will revoke his Spectre status. “

Anderson nodded, “`I'll contact the ambassador and see if he can get us an audience with the Council. He'll want to see us as soon as we reach the Citadel. “ He turned to leave, “We should be getting close. Head up to the bridge and tell Joker to bring us into dock.”

“ Thank you for taking care of me again doctor.” She smiled meekly as she headed towards the bridge.

“ Thank Alenko and Williams, they are he ones who brought you back, Alenko even helped watch over you.” 

“ Really?” Shepard figured she owed him another thank you. “ How well do you know the lieutenant?”

Chakwas shrugged, “ I’d never worked with him before this mission. But he has an impressive service record. Over a dozen special commendations. Tends to keep to himself, though. Maybe because of the headaches. It’s not easy being an L2.”

“ An L2? What does that have to do with it?” Despite being a biotic herself, Shepard knew very little about biotics themselves. 

“Well, most biotics, like yourself, now use the L3 implants.Lt. Alenko was wired with the old L2 configuration. Sometimes there are complications.”

“What kind of complications?”

“Severe mental disabilities, insanity, crippling physical pain. There’s a long list of horrific side effects.” Shepard’s eyes widened as the doctor’s list went on, Karen chuckled,“Kaidan’s lucky. He just gets migraines.”

“ Oh, thank god” She relaxed, _poor guy_. “ I need to go, but thanks again doctor!”

Doctor Chakwas chuckled and returned to her terminal, she was fond of the Commander. She was a good kid. 

* * *

Kaidan was waiting when the medley door opened. 

 

“Commander. I’m glad to see you’re okay. Losing Jenkins was hard on the crew. And I’m glad we didn’t lose you, too.” Kaidan cleared his throat and decided he should probably salute. Shepard giggled softly before telling him to relax. 

 

“How are you holding up?” she asked gently, he had seemed pretty shook up inside the medbay, “Things were pretty rough down there.”

“Yeah, you ever get used to seeing dead civilians.” he shook his head slowly, “Doesn’t seem right, somehow. But at least you stopped Saren from wiping out the whole colony.”

“ I couldn’t have done it without you.” She smiled, “Thanks for watching over me while I was out.”

“ We’re marines. We stick together.” Kaidan rubbed the back of his neck,”  I’m just sorry we lost Jenkins.”

She looked down and rubbed her arm, “Yeah…I wish I could’ve done something to save him. “

“I was there. You did everything right. It was just bad luck.” She looked back up at him and nodded,reminding herself to control her emotions around subordinates, “It’s been a hell of a shakedown cruise. Our first mission ends with one Spectre killing another. The Citadel Council’s not going to be happy about that. Probably use it to lever more concessions out of the Alliance.” Kaidan said as a way of changing the subject. 

“You’ve got a good grasp of the situation. You a career man?”

“Yeah. A lot of biotics are. We’re not restricted, but we sure don’t go undocumented. May as well get a paycheck for it.” she smiled, “Besides, my father served. Made him proud when I enlisted. Eventually. “ He felt like he was rambling,“But is that why you’re here? Because of your family?”

She shrugged, “never met my parents. grew up an orphan on earth i figured If they wanted to they could've contacted me after that mess a few years back. “

“I heard about the Skyllian Blitz. I bet you had your pick of posts after that.” she shrugged, _time to change the subject again,_ “ Word is we’re heading for the Citadel, Ma’am. Can you tell me why?”

“ We want to brief the Council: The captain hopes the Ambassador can get an audience with the Council. Tell them what Saren’s been up to.”

“Makes sense. They’d probably like to know he’s not working for them anymore.” Shepard smiled, and he felt his face follow in suit. 

“Good point.” She smiled, “ I should go find Ashley, but lets talk later?”

“ Sure thing, commander.” He gave another salute and she smiled again. _Idiot._ he thought.

* * *

 

Ashley looked exhausted as she placed what few belongings she had in a locker. They had all lost someone today, but Ashley most of all. 

“ I'm glad you're okay, Commander.” she saluted when she saw Shepard approach, “The crew could use some good news after what happened to Jenkins.”

“He’ll be missed. Jenkins was a valuable part of this crew.”

“Part of me feels guilty over what happened. If Jenkins was still alive, I might not be here.” It was my fault, Shepard thought.

“You're a good soldier, Williams. You belong on the Normandy.”

“Thanks, Commander. I appreciate that.” She gave a small smile.

“ Things were pretty rough down there. Are you okay?”

“I've seen friends die before. Comes with being a marine. But to see my whole unit wiped out... “ her face fell, “and you never get used to seeing dead civilians. But things would have been a lot worse if you hadn't shown up.”

“We couldn't have done it without you, Williams.” she reassured earnestly.

“Thanks, Commander. I have to admit, I was a little worried about being assigned to the Normandy. It's nice when someone makes you feel welcome.”

“I think you're gonna fit in here just fine, Williams.”

“Thanks, Commander.”

“ I need to go speak with Joker.” Shepard said as a means of goodbye before heading up to the bridge.

* * *

“Hey Joker.” Commander Shepard greeted the pilot by swiping his hat. 

“Good timing, Commander. I was just about to bring us into the Citadel. See that taxpayer money at work.” Joker pouted as she sat down next to him wearing his SR-1 cap. She didn’t look like she would give it back soon. She smiled, apparently very pleased at her new headwear, as she looked out the window. She had never been to the citadel, but she had always dreamed of it. Her face was practically plastered against the window as they approached the space station . 

 

“Look at the size of that ship!” Ashley’s excited voice came from behind her as the view of the station was momentarily obstructed. 

“The Ascension. Flagship of the Citadel fleet.” Kaidan had joined them. He looked at the commander’s face against the glass and smiled to himself. She looked like a little kid.

“Well, size isn't everything.” Joker scoffed.

“Why so touchy, Joker?” Ashley teased. 

“I’m just saying you need firepower, too.” He shrugged.

“Look at that monster! Its main gun could rip through the barriers on any ship in the Alliance fleet.” Ashley was a gunnery chief for a reason. She loved guns. 

“Good thing it's on our side, then.” Kaidan noted. Shepard nodded and gave a muffled sound of agreement. Her eyes widened as she finally got a view of the Citadel. The massive arms of the space station were bathed in a purple light.They were connected by a massive ring in the center. It reminded Shepard of an octopus. 

Joker radioed in as they got closer to the station, “Citadel Control, this is SSV Normandy, requesting permission to land.”

“Stand by for clearance, Normandy. Clearance granted. You may begin your approach. Transferring you to an Alliance operator.”

“Roger, Alliance Tower. Normandy out.” Shepard stood up and placed Joker’s hat back on his head, 

“ Get ready to head out.” Shepard said to Ashley and Kaidan as Joker pulled the Normandy into the dock. 

 

 


	22. The Citadel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard Visits the Citadel and Meets the Council & Consort.

** Shepard **

** Chapter Twenty Nine- The Citadel **

 

** Presidum **

** Citadel, 2183 C.E   **

As much as she wanted to explore the citadel, Shepard was there on business. First stop, The human embassy on the presidium ring. Anderson, Kaidan, Ashley, and her took a skycar to Udina’s office. Shepard’s face was squished against the glass the whole way,  _the presidium was beautiful!_ There was a huge lake with fountains and the white architecture was surrounded in the contrasting greenery. She was practically bouncing in excitement. 

The human embassy was an all white room with a small desk. There was no back wall, instead it was a massive balcony that overlooked the Presidium garden. When the four of them arrived, Ambassador Udina was in the middle of a conversation with holographic images of the Council. The conversation appeared to be going poorly. Kaidan and Ashley went and leaned over the balcony, they figured they would be close enough if they were needed, but still far enough out of the way.Shepard followed behind Anderson. 

 

“This is an outrage!” Udina yelled at the holographic Turian councilor, “ The Council would step in to help if the Geth attacked at Turian colony!”

The slightly nasally voice of the salarian councilor answered, “ The Turians don’t found colonies on the borders of the Terminous Systems Ambassador.”

The Asari Councilor finished, “ Humanity was well aware of the risks when you went into the traverse.”

 

Udina figured it was time to try a new angle, “ What about Saren? You can’t just ignore a rogue Spectre, I demand Action!” 

“ You don’t get to make demands of the Council, Ambassador!” The Turian councilor spat. 

The Asari stepped in, “ Citadel Security is investigating your charges against Saren. We will discuss the C-Sec findings at the hearing. Not before.” She was always the diplomat. The council ended their transmission and the holographic images dissipated. 

 

Udina turned around, he was basically bald, and his nose was big. He wore a beige and white tunic with khaki pants. They say politicians grey twice as fast, and from her vantage point, Shepard would have to agree. 

“Captain Anderson, I see you brought half your crew with you.” The ambassador said, clearly exasperated from his ordeal with the Council. 

 

“Just the ground team from Eden Prime, In case you had any questions.” The Captain answered, he was obviously used to dealing with Udina. 

“ I have the mission reports, I assume they are accurate?” _Yup, Udina was not in the mood._

“ They are.” Shepard folded her hands behind her back as Anderson continued, “Sounds like you convinced the council to give us an audience.”

Udina shook his head. “ They were not happy about it. Saren’s their top agent. They don’t like him being accused of treason.”

“ It’s the truth, hopefully they will see that at the hearing.” Shepard chimed in. 

 

Udina crossed his arms. “ You have already done enough to jeprodize your candidacy for the Spectres. The mission on Eden Prime was a chance to prove you could get the job done. Instead, Nihlus ended up dead and the beacon was destroyed!”

Shepard tucked her hair behind her ear as Anderson stuck his hand out, “ That’s Saren’s fault, not hers!”

Udina folded his arms behind his back, “ Then we better hope the C-Sec investigation turns up evidence to support our accusations. Otherwise the Council might use this as an excuse to keep you out of the Spectres.” He turned to Anderson, “ Come with me, Captain. I want to go over a few things before the hearing. Shepard- you and the others can meet us at the Citadel Tower. Top Level. I'll make sure you have clearance to get in.”

 

“ And thats why I hate politicians.” Ashley said as Kaidan and her turned to join the Commander.

“ I'll have to agree with you chief.” Shepard laughed. “ We have some time before we have to meet with the council…” she paused with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “ Who’s up for some exploring?”

“ Thats what I’m talking about!” Ashley grinned, “ Lets go!”

 

The two girls headed out of the room as Kaidan shook his head slightly, they were going to be trouble. 

* * *

The three marines headed downstairs to the presidium grounds, where all manor of Aliens were conducting there business. Shepard's eyes were as wide as saucers, as she looked up into the artificial sky. 

 

“Let's go Commander!" Ashley grabbed hold of her hand and dragged her across the white bridge. 

 

"Where are we going?" Shepard asked smiling at the Chief's free spirit.

 

" Good question!" Ashley had no idea.

* * *

 

“ Welcome. I am Nelyna.” An Asari greeted them in a calming voice, She had vibrant purple skin, except for her face were it eased into a turquoise ombre. Her dress was full of cut outs that showcased her figure, she was beautiful. “ I don’t recognize you as one of our expected clients today. Would you like me to see when the Consort will be able to meet with you?”

 

Shepard looked at Ashley who edged her on, “ Can’t I just go in?”

Nelyna winced, “ mm. I'm afraid not. Yeah, you must understand, there are many who seek the Consort’s services. But if you wish to leave your name, she’ll make very effort to meet with you.” She’d obviously given this spiel before. 

Honestly, they had no idea where they even were. “ What is the Consort? What can she do?” She asked. 

Nelyna rubbed her head crest, “ It is difficult to explain. She is many things to many people and something different to each.” Well thats vague. “ Some seek her for advice, some for entertainment, others still for pleasure. Most of our clients won’t realize what they were seeking until after she was provided it for them.”

 

“ You make her sound like some kind of Oracle.”

“ No, not in the usual sense,” The Asari shook her head. “ She is merely a woman. A woman with remarkable compassion and a generous spirit. I suggest you make an appointment and see for yourself.”

“ What do you do here Nelyna?”

She bowed, “ I am one of the Consort’s Acolytes. Many of the people here today will not see the Consort, but they expectt to be attended to just the same. Its our job to ensure that they leave contented.”

 

“ What exactly do you attend to?” Ashley asked.

“ Well, each acolyte has her unique abilities. Some soothe with song, others with conversation. As much as possible we seek to match the needs of our clients to the skills of our acolytes. My specialty is touch. My fingertips can find every tension point in your body… and relieve it.” Kaidan rubbed the back of his neck and looked very interested in the floor. 

 

“ My friend here would like to try out your services.” Ashley said, elbowing Kaidan who started to look panicked. 

“ Excellent.” Nelyna tapped her podium and Shepard covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, “ We should be able to see you in.. hmm, three or four months.” Kaidan let out a sigh of relief. 

“ What?” Ashley was bummed, “ Nobody is worth that much a wait!”

  “ Well , thats not for me to judge. I have your name and you’ll be contacted. is there anything else?” Nelyna asked. 

Shepard let out a small laugh, “ I think we are done here, thanks Nelyna”

“ Aw, Well, I hope that you will return again in the future. we always enjoy seeing new clients.”

 

As the marines started to leave, Nelyna received a call on her communicator and called them back. 

“ Huh,it appears the Consort has taken notice of you. She’d like to meet with you now.”

“Wait, what?” Kaidan stuttered as Ashley sported a smile that took up her whole face. 

“ Where do I go?” Shepard asked.

Nelyna pointed upstairs and wished her well.

 

“ I hate you Ash.” Kaidan said grudgingly

“ You love me L.T.” Ashly said, still beaming.

“ Let’s go you two, we wouldn’t want to keep the Consort waiting” Shep laughed.

“ She sure does.” Ashley smirked.

 

They reached the top room and inside stood an Asari in the same outfit as Nelyna. Her back was to the door and she was standing next to a floating purple egg bed. They had barely entered the room when the consort spoke.

“ That’s close enough, Commander.” Sha’ira spoke without turning towards them. “ I've heard a great many things about you since your arrival here on our Citadel.”

 

“ Spooky.” Ashley whispered.

“What exactly do you do?” Shepard asked, the curiosity was killing her.

“ That depends on your needs.” She said seductively, “ I offer advice to some, comfort to others.” She turned around, “ I have a certain problem that could use your expertise.

“ Sure thing. What do you need?”

 

“ I have a friend, Septimus. a retired Turian general. I won’t discuss the details, but he wanted me to be more that I could be. We had a falling out. Now he spends his days in Chora’s Den drinking and spreading lies about me.” she stepped closer to the commander, “ If you would speak to him as a fellow soldier, I believe he will listen to you and let the matter be. “

“ What happened between you two?” Shepard wanted the details, for purely professional reasons of course. 

“ I respect his privacy too much to go into the details. If he wishes to tell you what happened, that is his prerogative."

“ Ok, I'll see what I can do for you.” Shi’ira smiled and closed the gap between the two of them with a hug.

 

Ashley leaned over to Kaidan and wispered, “ You should fight her. “ 

“ What? No. Shut up Ash.” Kaidan blushed despite himself.

 

“Thank you commander, appeal to his sense of honor. Remind him of his position as a general. If you can convince him to stop spreading lies about me, I would be very grateful.” She turned away, “ Now I must ask you to take your leave. I have many clients waiting to see me.”

 

As soon as they were out of the consort’s chambers, Ashley and Shepard burst into laughter. 

“ That was so uncomfortable!” Shepard bent over, “ was she hitting on me? I don’t even know.”

“ Nah, I think she was all over L.T.” Ashley laughed.

“ Right, she’s not my type Chief.” Kaidan rubbed his neck.

“ Good.” Shepard said, suddenly serious.” Because we are on duty here lt. No time for such foolishness.”

The two marines broke a smile and started laughing again. 

“ For real though, we should head up to the hearing.” Shepard continued. “ Onward Marines!”

* * *

“ The Council isn’t going to ask me any questions are they?” Ash asked as the three soldiers rode the elevator to the top of the citadel tower. 

“ I doubt it.” replied Kaidan, “ They have our reports. Now we just have to trust ambassador Udina.”

“No we don’t sir.” Ashley said as the doors opened onto the Citadel Chambers. 

 

The Chambers were bathed in a warm light, hundreds of stairs led up to where the council actually was. along the way were multiple fountains surrounded by cherry trees, _or what looked they cherry trees._ Shepard’s eyes widened again. everything was so beautiful here. In front of the first fountain were two C-sec officers, both turians. 

 Saren’s hiding something! Give me more time. Stall them.” The one on the left wore a blue holographic visor and had blue face paint.

 

The other one was in a navy and red suit, and wore black face paint, he reminded Shepard of Nihlus, “ Stall the council? Don’t be ridiculous! Your investigation is over, Garrus.” The second turian walked away as the other sighed, clearly frustrated. He saw Shepard standing there and walked over.

 

“ Commander Shepard?” His dual tone voice betrayed frustration, but was still incredible pleasing to listen to, “ Garrus Vakarian. I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren.” He introduced himself with a slight bow of the head. 

“ Nice to meet you Garrus, who were you talking to?”

“That was Executor Pallin, Head of Citadel Security, My boss. Hell present my findings on Saren to the Council.”  Garrus shook his head slightly.

“ Did you come across anything I should know about?”

“ Saren’s a Spectre.” Garrus folded his arms, “ Most of his activities are classified. I couldn’t find anything solid.” he shook his head, “ But I know he’s up to something! Like you humans say, I feel it in my gut.”

 

Shepard smiled, despite the situation, at his use of the expression. 

“ I think the council’s ready for us Commander.” Kaidan said.

Garrus nodded, “ Good luck, Shepard. Maybe they’ll listen to you.”

“ Thanks Garrus!” Shepard bid him farewell and headed up the steps where Anderson was waiting. 

 

“ The hearing’s already started. Come on.” Anderson led them up the stairs were the council stood along with a giant hologram of Saren. 

“ The Geth attack is a matter of some concern. But there is nothing to indicate Saren was involved in any way. “ The Asari councilor’s voice came through.

“ The investigation by Citadel Security turned up no evidence to support your charge of treason.” The turian councilor continued. 

Udina chimed in, “ An eyewitness saw him kill Nihlus in cold blood!”

“ We read the Eden Prime reports, Ambassador.” The Salarian responded, “ The testimony of one traumatized dockworker is hardly compelling proof. “

 

“ I resent these accusations.” Saren’s voice boomed,“Nihlus was a fellow Spectre. And a friend.” 

“ That just let you catch him off guard!” The captain accused. 

“ Captain Anderson. You always seem to be involved when humanity makes false charges against me.” He turned to Shepard, “ And this must be your protege, Commander Shepard. The one who let the beacon get destroyed.”

“ The beacon was classified information,The whole mission to Eden Prime was top secret. The only way you could have known about that was if you were there!” Shepard said.

 

Saren crossed his arms, disinterested, “ With Nihlus gone, his filed passed on to me. I read the Eden Prime report. I was unimpressed.” _well what was unnecessary_ , Shepard thought. “ But what can you expect from a human?” _yup, definitely not necessary._

 

“ Saren Despises humanity, that gives him a motive to attack Eden Prime, if the beacon wasn’t enough!” Shepard said. 

“ Your species needs to learn its place. Shepard. You’re not ready to join the council. Your not even ready to join the Spectres!”

“ He has no right to say that!” Udina objected, “ That’s not his decision!”

“Shepard’s admission into the Specters is not the purpose of this hearing. “ The Asari councilor agreed for once.

 

Saren was agitated, “ This meeting has no purpose. The humans are waisting your time, Councilors. And Mine.”

“ You can’t hide behind the council forever.” Shepard said .

“ There is still one outstanding issue.” Anderson interjected, “ Commander Shepard’s vision. It may have been triggered by the beacon.”

 

“ Are we allowing dreams into evidence now?” Saren scoffed, “ How can I defend my innocence against this kind of testimony?”

The turian councilor agreed,  “ Our judgment must be based on facts and evidence, not wild imaginings and reckless speculation!”

“ Do you have anything else to add, Commander?” the salarian asked.

 

_What could she say? they needed evidence_ , “ You have already made up your mind. I won’t waste my breath.”

The three councilors exchanged glances before announcing there verdict, The Asari spoke first.

“ This council finds no evidence linking saran to the Geth. Councilor Udina, your petition to have him disbarred from the specters is denied.”

 

Saren’s smug voice called as his holographic appearance dissipated, “ I’m Glad to see Justice was served.”


	23. Investigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and team milky way head to Chora’s Den to investigate Garrus.

** Shepard **

** Chapter Thirty One- Investigation **

** Chora’s Den **

** Citadel, 2183 C.E   **

 

“It was a mistake bringing you into that hearing, Captain. You and Saren have too much history. It made the Council question our motives.” The ambassador lamented. The hearing had been a disaster, no proof made the Alliance look like immature children desperate to put the blame on someone else. Shepard rubbed her temples, t _hey needed a plan_. She tuned back into the conversation as Anderson was getting heated. “ Every colony we have is at risk. Every world we control is in danger. Even Earth isn’t safe!” 

The captain was usually so calm and collected, but something about this trial had gotten to him. Shepard was concerned, “ Captain, what exactly happened between you and Saren?” 

 

Anderson rubbed his hands together, and turned away, “ I worked with him on a mission a long time ago.” He was pacing back and forth the way he did when his mind was racing, “Things went bad. Real bad.” His eyes met her’s and she could tell it wasn’t a memory he was willing to dwell on. She nodded and turned to focus on the issue at hand,

” The council won’t do anything unless with have solid evidence.” Kaidan’s voice came from behind her, “ What about Garrus, that C-Sec investigator? We saw him arguing with the executor.” 

 

“That’s right!” Ashley joined in, “ He was asking for more time to finish his report. Seems like he was close to finding something on Saren!” She was eager to get some dirt on the Turian, the way the trial had gone down had made her trigger finger itchy, she wanted to kill the man responsible for wiping out her unit. She was ready for some payback. 

 

“ Garrus seems like our best bet,” Shepard agreed, “ Any idea where we can find him?”

 

“ I have a contact in C-Sec who can help, his name is Harkin.” Anderson shook his head at Udina, 

 

“ Forget it. They suspended Harkin last month. Drinking on the job. I won’t waste my time with that loser.”

 

“ You won’t have to.” Udina crossed his arms, “ I don’t want the Council using your history with Saren as an excuse to ignore our evidence. Shepard will handle this.”  

 

For once she agreed with the ambassador, “ I will take care of it Captain, no worries.” 

 

Satisfied with the plan, Udina excused himself to his office, leaving the Captain alone with the ground team. 

 

“ Harkin’s probably getting drunk at Chora’s Den. Its a dingy little club in the lower section of the wards.” Anderson’s distain for the man was palpable. “ You could also talk to Barla Von. Over in the financial district. Rumor has it he’s an agent for the Shadow Broker.”

 

“Who?” Ashley asked

 

Anderson explained, “ An information dealer, buys and sells secrets to the highest bidder. I’ve heard Barla Von is one of the top representatives. He might have something on Saren, but his information won’t come cheap.”

 

“Understood, we are on it Captain.” Shepard turned back to her teammates, Ashley wasn’t looking so good, her skin was pale and her eyes were almost robotic with rage. Shepard looked at her with concern, “ How are you doing Ash?” 

 

The Chief blinked at her commander before rolling her shoulders back, “ Doing fine ma’am. Fit for duty.”

 

“ Ok, let me know if you need something chief, we are here for you.”

 

“ yes ma’am.” Ashley nodded, but she genuinely appreciated the concern, “ Which way are we headed?”

 

Shepard smiled at the gunnery chief, “ I’m thinking Chora’s Den. We could use a more upbeat atmosphere.”

 

 

The team headed down the steps into the circular elevator and assumed a triangular formation. The door let out a gentle bing as the two sets of glass panels overlapped, encasing the crew inside before descending. Ashley shifted her weight back and forth. 

 

“ I can’t believe the Council ignored all the evidence against Saren!” she let out a deflated sigh. 

 

“ Saren’s one of their best operatives.”, came the LT as a voice of reason, “It’s only natural that they’d take his word over ours.” 

 

Ashley was getting fed up with beuraccratic bullshit, she had had enough with having to work ten times harder just because of her family name. 

 

“ Oh, so now we just chase leads while this smug turian runs around with his geth troopers.” Saren had privilege with the council, that unfair advantage that ashley had been working against her whole life. It made her sick. 

 

Kaidan shrugged, “ That’s politics, Chief.”

 

“ I hate politics.” Ashley huffed, more than familiar with the concept. 

 

The elevator politely sounded their arrival at the presidium and the three of them stepped out before rounding the corner and stepping into another identical elevator.Kaidan attempted to fill the silence. 

 

“ So, Williams, are you happy you signed on with Commander Shepard?” He rubbed the back of his neck. 

 

Ashley shook her head slightly, “ I’m not sure, Lieutenant. Every time I think I have a handle on things, the universe banks hard to port.”

 

“ Well, don’t let anybody know. A big gun and a confident attitude will get you through a lot in life.” His voice was ernest and husky. And Ashley betrayed a slight smile. The commander though to herself, thats the second time he has gone out of his way to comfort a crew member. Shepard respected that, she was glad to have him on the team. 

 

“ Wise words with Kaidan Alenko.” Shepard joked, as kaidan flushed. “ I’m glad to have you both on my side.” 

 

The elevator door opened to reveal a large common area with a circular viewing deck. The walls were a light shade of grey and the far wall was entirely windowed, looking out to the purple lights of the ward arms. All manor of aliens were taking part in the breath taking view as others hurried about there business. It was a beautiful sight, Shepard’s eyes widened as she attempted to see everything at once. She lovedit here. Kaidan found himself smiling at her enthusiasm, before catching himself. stay focused alenko. The Team was brought back to reality by a young woman’s voice, 

 

“ Comander Shepard?” She waved her arms in an effort to get there attention, “ Excuse me, Commander Shepard!” She was beautiful with a short and smart black bob the encircled her youthful face. She wore a long purple dress with cutouts and long gloves, similar to the asari consort. Shepard headed over towards her.

 

“ I’m Emily Wong.” The girl introduced herself, “ I’m an investigative journalist working here on the Citadel. Could I have a moment of your time?”

 

The commander smiled, “ Sure thing, what do you need?”

 

Emily looked around, “ I have been hunting for evidence of corruption and organized crime on the Citadel, but there are places I can’t go.” She wrung her hands nervously as she continued, “ I was hoping you might share anything you find during your own investigation. I can make it worth your time.”

 

She seemed very well informed, “ Why ask me ?”

 

“ You wouldn’t be investigating if it wasn’t big, and if its big, I want to know about it.” She looked up at shepard, “ Plus, I think Ive got a better shot with you, I read about The Skillian Blitz, how you rallied all those people who had never even held a gun before, how you saved them!” Shepard looked down, she felt uncomfortable when people talked about The Blitz, “ I need someone who cares enough to expose corruption where its found, and I think that’s you.”

 

“ If I find anything, you will be the fist to know.” Shepard said with an easy smile.

 

“ Thank you Commander! You won’t regret it!” Emily Wong looked pleased as shepard walked away towards the overlook. 

 

 

She leaned over the railing, talking in everything she could. The lights, the buildings stretched out into space on the long wards arms. The skycaps whizzing by as massive spaceships leisurely floated from port to planet. It was then that she felt the excitement she had wanted to feel on Mars so many years ago. This time, the company paired perfectly with the view. She smiled gently as Kaidan and Ashley joined her.

 

“ Big Place.” Kaidan said earnestly, his eyes betraying a childlike wonder. 

 

Ashley turned towards him with her eyebrow raised, “ That your, professional opinion, sir?” 

 

Shepard agreed watching a ship float lazily by, “This isn’t a station; it’s a city.” 

 

“ There must be millions here.” His voice was raspy and awestruck, “ It can’t be possible to track everyone coming and going.”

 

“ This makes Jump Zero look like a port-a john.” Ashley mused, “ and its the largest deep space station the Alliance has.”

 

“ Jump Zero is big,” Kaidan agreed matter a factly, “But this is a whole other scale. Look at those ward arms! How do they keep all that mass from flying apart?” He leaned in closer.

 

Shepard nodded, “ The council represents more races than I thought. No wonder they are careful with new comers.”

 

“ They probably just want to keep everything running. It has to be hard keeping all these cultures working together.” Shepard looked at kaidan, more wise words. 

 

“ Or maybe they just don’t like humans.” ashley added. 

 

“ Why not?” Shepard smiled as she looked at her team, “ We’ve got oceans, beautiful women, this emotion called love,” she listed as she turned back to follow a skycar heading towards a rounded building, “ according to the old vids, we have everything they want.”

 

“ When you put it that way, there is no reason they wouldn’t like you,” Kaidan stopped as he realized his mistake, “ I mean, us.” he straightened up quickly and attempted to act normal.” humans. Ma’am.”

 

Ashley smirked as Kaidan turned away and rubbed the back of his neck, “ You don’t take much shore leave do ya, LT?”

 

Shepard smiled and laughed slightly to herself, “ Alright laugh it up chief, I appreciate the thought Alenko but we’re on duty here.” Kaidan’s face was tinted pink as he tried to recover. 

 

“ um, Aye-aye ma’am” he wasn’t expecting her to say that.. but then again what did think she would say?

 

As much as she was enjoying Kaidan’s awkward position, Ashley decided she should throw him a line. “ I’ll walk drag ma’am.”

 

Shepard nodded and led the way towards chora’s den. Kaidan followed decidedly trying not to dwell on how much of an idiot he was. As Ashley was still smirking to herself, she felt bad for the LT, but it was too funny not to mess with him. He obviously was out of practice. 

 

 

They headed into an adjacent section of the ward where a few merchants had set up shop. As the three of them decided to peruse the wares at the Volus’s stand, Shepard couldn’t help but overhear a conversation between a Turian shop keeper and a male client. 

 

“I don’t think you bought this here.” The dual tone voice came soothingly from the Turian’s lips, “ I don’t sell this model.”

 

“Look,I know it was you.” the man was gesticulating, obviously frustrated, “ I remember your face.”

 

“ Really? Thats impressive. Usually you humans can’t tell one tyrian from another.” 

 

“ This was the place! Now are you going to give me a refund or not?”

 

“ Do you have your proof of purchase?”

 

“ what? no, I— I don’t think you ever gave me one.”

 

“ I’m sorry then. I can’t help you.”

 

“ But—“

 

“ Can’t help you.”

 

Shepard was brought back to attention by the sound of a man’s voice.

 

“ You’re commander Shepard, The Hero of Eden Prime!” The man was in awe, he has curly blond hair and deep brown eyes that looked completely stunned, “ I am so Honored to meet you.” He bowed slightly. 

 

“Nice to meet you!” Shepard smiled warmly and shook his hand, he seemed harmless, “ and you are…?”

 

“ My name is Conrad. Conrad Verner. They say you killed over a hundred Geth on Eden Prime!” Conrad clenched his fist triumphantly. 

 

“ I spent most of the time trying to stay alive and help the colonists.” Shepard replied meekly… Conrad reminded her of Jenkins.

 

“ Hey, I know you’re probably busy, but do you have time for a quick autograph?” He was staring straight into her eyes. 

 

“ anything for a fan.” she shrugged and laughed, this was a first.

 

“ Thanks! I really appreciate it. my wife is going to be so impressed!” He looked overjoyed, “ I’ll let you get back to work, but next time you are on Earth, I’d love to buy you a drink!” 

 

Conrad waved goodbye and expressed his thanks once again before heading towards the residential wings. Chora’s den wasn't far.They headed down a flight of stairs and through another section of shops before arriving at a darkened area where a neon sign of what appeared to be an Asari dancer flashed and pointed towards a door.

 

“Look out!” Ashley yelled as she shot down an assassin on the opposite side of the path with her assault rifle. 

 

“ Nice catch Ash!” Shepard thanked her as Kaidan threw out a barrier. Shepard lifted two Turians up from behind cover so Ashley could take them out. The altercation was over as quickly as it began. 

 

“ Everyone ok?” Shepard asked, checking for wounds. 

 

“ Those were Saren’s men. “ Kaidan stated as he patched up ashley’s scrapes. 

 

“ C’mon.” Shepard motioned as they headed into the club. 

 

It was Dark except for reddish pink lights that illuminated a bar and varrious stages were Asari were dancing. It reminded Shepard of the strip clubs Finch liked back on Earth. Poles extended to the ceiling from the bar where two a sari and a tanned human with blond hair were showing there skills. The music was enjoyable, shepard thought. "A million light years from where humanity began only to find a bar filled with men drooling over half-naked women shaking their asses on stage. I can't decide whether that's funny or sad." Ashley remarked to shepards amusement. 

 

“ It sure has quite the uh, view.” Kaidan added. 

 

“Hey, Lieutenant? Put your tongue back in your mouth before you trip on it" Ashley laughed as kaidan shot her an annoyed look. 

 

“ We can admire the view when were not chasing a rogue specter.” Shepard reminded them, “ We need to find Harkin.”

 

“ He must be a real charmer.” Ashley commented sarcastically. 

 

The three marines approached a single table where a man sat alone before a krogan bouncer was overheard.

 

“ Back off Wrex! Fist told us to take you down if you showed up.”

 

“ What are you waiting for? I’m right here.” The Krogan was covered in scars and his voice was deep and menacing, “ This is Fist’s only chance. If he is smart. He’ll take it.”

 

The bouncer backed down slightly, “ He’s not coming out Wrex. End of Story.”

 

 

“This story is just beginning.” Wrex turned to see the commander standing there, “ Out of my way Humans, I have no quarrel with you.” He said dismissively before leaving the establishment. 

 

“ What was that all about?” Kaidan asked, relieved that the situation hadn’t escalated.

 

“ Who knows?” Ashley replied with her hands on her hips. “Let’s just try not to get caught in the middle.”

 

“ Agreed.” Shepard turned towards the man, he wreaked of alcohol. 

 

“ Hey there, sweetheart. “ Shepard cringed at the name and put her hands on her hips, as the nearly bald man continued in his drunken seductive manor, “You looking for some fun? ‘Cause I gotta say that soldier’s getup looks real good on that bod of yours.” 

 

Kaidan tensed, he didn’t like the way Harkin was eyeing her. “ Why don’t you sit your sweet little ass down beside old Harkin?Have a drink and we’ll see where this goes.”

 

“ I’d rather drink a cup of acid after chewing on a razor blade.” Shepard’s voice was noticeably dark. Kaidan looked at her, he had never seen her expression so harsh. Her soft and warm expression was stoic and twisted, clearly something he said had hit a nerve. 

 

“You trying to hurt my feelings?” Harkin hiccuped, “ You gotta do better than that. After twenty years withC-sec I’ve been called every name in the book, sweetheart.”

 

Shepard bent down to Harkin and met his eyes with a look that could freeze hell, “ Call me sweetheart again and you’ll be picking your teeth up off the floor.” Kaidan looked at the commander with furrowed brows and glanced at Ashley, her arms were crossed in clear irritation with Harkin, but she looked concerned at Shepard as well. 

 

“Now.” her ice cold voice commanded Harkin, “ Tell me where Garrus is.”

 

Harkin raised his hands in defense, “ Okay, okay, just relax.” Shepard stood back up with her hand on her hip, clearly unamused. “ Garrus you say? Huh. Must be one of Anderson’s crew. Poor bastard’s still trying to bring down Saren eh? “ He reached for his glass before continuing, “ I know where Garrus is. But you gotta tell me something first. Did the captain let you in on his big secret?”

 

Harkin was on her last nerve, “ Just tell me where Garrus is before this gets ugly.” She didn’t want to hear him talk any longer than she had to. 

 

“Ah, but its all related. Don’t you see?” Harkin gulped from his amber glass. “ The captain used to be a Spectre. Didn’t know that did ya? It was all very hush-hush. The First Human ever given the honor. And then he blew it.” Kaidan glanced at the commander, her hand was tightened into a fist. “ Screwed up his mission so bad they kicked him out. Of course, he blames Saren. Says the Turian set him up.” 

Harkin’s disrespect for Anderson was grating at her nerves, her whole body was tense. “ Why could I believe a drunk like you?”

 

Harkin waved his hand dismissively, “ Fine. Ask Anderson. I bet he tells you. He’s too stupid and proud to lie right to your face.”

 

Shepard’s hand clenched tighter, the urge to knock the stupid smirk on his face was growing stronger each time he opened his mouth. _He just didn’t know when to shut up!_ She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and glanced back. Kaidan was looking at her, his face painted in worry. Her body relaxed slightly when she met his eyes, _Harkin was a drunk asshole, but thats all, no reason to loose control._ She took a breath and nodded. Her face softened slightly and she turned back to Harkin. 

 

“ Just tell me where Garrus went.” Her voice was still annoyed, but the severity and dark tone had left. Kaidan relaxed a bit and hoped Harkin was smart enough to just answer the damn question.

 

“ Garrus was sniffing around Dr. Michel’s office. She runs the med clinic on the other side of the wards. Last I heard, he was going back there.”

 

 

_Thank god he was done_ , “ I’m out of here. “ she said eager to get away from Harkin.

 

“Yeah. Good. Go. Let me drink in Peace.” Harkin said as he took a swig of his drink. Shepard quickened her pace.

 

“ Why didn’t Captain Anderson tell us he used to be a Specter?” Ashley asked following behind her.

 

“ Maybe its not true.” Kaidan theorized, hoping to just drop it for Shepard’s sake, “ Harkin’s an ass. I bet he’s just messing with out heads.”

 

Ashley got the hint, “ You’re probably right, still I’d like to hear what the captain has to say about all of this.”

 

Shepard stopped before the exit causing ashley to almost run into the commander. She took a deep breath and turned, heading towards a Turian in a modern hoodie. 

 

“ Commander?’ The Turian asked surprised, yet decidedly uninterested “ Hmph. What do you want?” He did not look happy. 

 

“ I’m hear on Sha’ira’s behalf.” She crossed her arms, her voice firm but gentle, “Your lies are hurting her.”

 

“Good. Her lies have been killing me for days.” General Septimus looked forlorn, “ Ive seen a lot of horrible things in my days, and theres only one woman in this damn galaxy that helps me forget it.” He shook his head and looked down, she broke his heart, she thought.

 

“ So if you feel that way, then why do you spread lies about her?” Kaidan asked, his brows furrowed.

 

“ ‘Cause she rejected me!” _nailed it_ , Shepard thought, “ Me! Septimus Oraka, general of the turian fleet!”

 

Shepard looked at him with compassion, “ I understand, but do you really think spreading lies is going to help?”

 

“Who cares! All I wanted was to retire and be with her.” He bent down and placed his elbows on his knees, “ look, kid, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but don’t waste your time.”

 

“ Look, If you really care about her act like it! Don’t waste away drunk and disrespected in some sleazy bar!” Shepard began her pep talk. “ Show her you care. Straighten up, take initiative and show her that you are a man worthy of her respect, and that you really do love her.”

 

The general sat up, his eyes vulnerable, “ Do you really think she would take me back?”

 

“ I think you’d have a much better chance.” Shepard nodded softly. He was just heartbroken.

 

“ So you think its that easy? Just straighten up and act like a general?”

 

“ I don’t think it could hurt.” Kaidan concurred.

 

“ Huh, maybe you’re right, Commander.” Septimus resigned, “ Sha’ira’s worth the effort… even if she won’t have me back.”

 

“ I’m glad to hear it. Now get up and get moving general.” Shepard smiled warmly. 

 

“ All right. Ill go to her… after I’ve had a cold shower. or two.” The general found his energy again and his tone shifted, “ Say, you’re a bright kid. Would you be interested in earning a few extra credits?”

 

“ What do you need me to do?” Shepard asked, all traces of her previous severity towards Harkin was gone, Kaidan noted. 

 

“ There’s an Elcore diplomat out there who believes Sha’ira gave up his secrets.”

 

“ why does he think that?” Kaidan asked knowingly.

 

“ Because I told him. Look, I just need you to convince him of the truth”

 

“Why can’t you tell him yourself?” Shepard asked. 

 

The general looked away before replying, “ Well, the last time he saw me, I was disparaging his ancestors and shouting his secrets in public.” He changed the subject, “ Take this data pad. It shows where I got my info. It will exonerate Sha’ira and convince the Elcor.”

 

Shepard placed a strand of her hair behind her ear, “ Who am I taking it to and where is he?”

 

“ His name is Xeltan. He’s over in the Elcor embassies complaining about Sha’ira.” The general grabbed his glass and offered a final toast. “ Well, here’s to soldiers acting like soldiers.” He downed the blue liquid before departing, “ Thanks commander. You know… you might make a good general yourself one day.”

 

“ Hard to imagine a general like that getting so upset about a woman.” Kaidan commented as the team headed towards Dr. Michelle’s clinic. 

 

“ Thats because you don’t understand women, Kaidan.” Ashley explained, drawing a smile from the commander. 

 

 

The team opened the door to Dr. Michelle’s clinic to see Garrus crouched down behind a wall, gun drawn. 

 

“ I didn’t tell anyone. I swear!” A panicked voice came from the red headed doctor who was being surrounded by armed thugs. 

 

“ That was smart Doctor.” The men stepped closer to the woman in a white and red lab coat. “ Now, If Garrus comes around, you stay smart. Keep your mouth shut or we’ll—“ The man noticed Shepard and pulled doctor Michelle into his arms holding her hostage. “ Who are you?”

 

Shepard had her pistol drawn, “ Let her go.” She said calmly, yet firm. While his attention was focused on Shepard, Garrus snuck out from his cover and took him out with a clean headshot. Doctor Michelle ran towards the table and went for cover as the man fell down dead. Garrus stepped out, pistol drawn on the two other men. Shepard shrew out a stasis, freezing the two men in there path before taking them out one by one. 

 

 

“Perfect timing Shepard.” Garrus’ familiar dual tone voice greeted them as they joined doctor Michelle in the back of the clinic, “Gave me a clear shot at that bastard.”

 

“ Impressive shot, you took him down clean.” Shepard took note of his precision, it was a risky shot, if he was off even a little, doctor Michelle would have be caught in the fire.

 

“ Sometimes you get lucky.” The turian said before turning to the doctor, “ Doctor Michel? Are you hurt?”

 

The doctor rubbed the side of her head, still a bit shaken, “ No. I’m okay. Thanks to you. All of you.”

 

“ We can protect you, do you know who those men where? why they were threatening you?” Shepard asked gently.

 

“ I don’t think they will come back, Thanks to you.” The doctor had a soothing accent, reminiscent of old France,” They work for Fist. They wanted to shut me up, keep me from telling Garrus about the Quarian.”

 

“ What Quarian?” Shepard asked.

 

The doctor wrung her hands and paced, “ A few days ago, a quarian came by my office. She’d been shot, but she wouldn’t tell me who did it. I could tell she was scared. Probably on the run. She asked me about the Shadow Broker. She wanted to trade information in exchange for a safe place to hide. “ Shepard nodded for her to continue, “I put her in contact with Fist. He’s an agent for the Shadow Broker.”

 

“ Not anymore.” Garrus interjected, “ Now he works for Saren, and the Shadow Broker isn’t too happy about it.”

 

“ Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker?” The doctor inquired, “ That’s stupid, even for him. Saren must have made him quite the offer.”

 

“ That Quarian must have something Saren wants. Something worth crossing the Shadow Broker to get.”

 

“ She must have something that proves he’s a traitor.” Shepard theorized, “ Did the Quarian mention anything about Saren? Or the Geth?”

 

The doctor nodded, “ She did! The information she was going to trade. She said it had something to do with the Geth.”

 

Garrus turned to Shepard, “ She must be able to link Saren to the Geth. There’s no way the Council can ignore this!” the determination was reconfirmed in his voice. 

 

“ We need to make sure we get to her before Fist.” 

 

“ This is your show, Shepard. But I want to bring Saren down as much as you do. I’m coming with you!” Garrus’s enthusiasm was palpable. 

 

Shepard smiled, she knew she liked him, “ Welcome aboard, Garrus.”

 

Garrus gave what she believed to be a smile, “ You know, we aren’t the only ones going after Fist. The Shadow Broker hired a krogan bounty hunter named Wrex to take him out.” 

 

“ Yeah.” Ashley said looking at Shepard, “ We saw him in the bar.”

 

“ A krogan might come in handy.” Shepard was eager to see if Wrex would help, she’d never really worked with a Krogan before.

 

“ Last I heard, he was down at C-sec.” Garus said.

 

“ What’s he doing there?” Kaidan asked.

 

“ Fist accused him of making threats.” Garrus explained. “ We brought Wrex in for a little talk. If you hurry, you can catch him at the academy before he leaves.”

 

“ Let’s move out.” Shepard said, motioning towards the door. 

 

The four of them headed towards the elevator, Garrus in tow. Ashley didn’t know what to think of there new Turian friend. She didn’t trust him and intended to keep a close eye on him. 

 

“ I’m surprised to see you on the front lines, Chief Willams. Most women I’ve observed in your Alliance military serve in support roles.” Garrus said as the elevator began its ascent. 

 

“ It’s becoming more common,” Ashley shrugged, “ But, It took a long time to prove that ‘ladies’ could handle an assault rifle or a shotgun.”

 

“ I doubt anyone who saw your skill under fire could ram in skeptical.” Garrus scoffed.

 

“ Well thanks, Garrus. “ Ashley said, genuinely surprised at the compliment. 

 

“ Not used to making friends chief?” Kaidan teased.

 

“ Shut up LT.”

 

Shepard laughed as Garus’s held a puzzled expression, “ Human custom, they make fun of each other to show friendship.” She explained.

 

“ Got it!” Garrus nodded, Shepard liked hearing him talk, something about turians just made her feel relaxed, contrary to most Human’s opinion. The first contact war had made relations shaky at best. 

 

 

C-sec academy was a high ceiling hub of activity flooded in blue light, Flanking the elevator were two orange leaved trees the reminded Kaidan of his families’ orchard back on earth. Looking at the base of a set of stares, The Krogan, Wrex, was surrounded by armed Turians while a human officer was lecturing him. 

 

“ Witnesses saw you making threats in Fist’s bar.” The officer stated, “ Stay away from him.”

 

The krogan crossed his arms, “ I don’t take orders from you.” He stated factually, his voice low and grumbly.

 

“This is your only warning, Wrex.” The officer stated officially, to Wrex’s disinterest.

 

“ You should warn Fist.” Wrex said, his face close to the officer, “ I will kill him.”

 

“ You want me to arrest you?’

 

Wrex laugh made the floor tremble slightly, “ I want you to try.” He glanced over and saw Shepard watching the ordeal and headed over towards her. 

 

“ Do I know you, human?” He towered over her. 

 

“ My name’s Shepard. I’m going after Fist.” She shrugged, “ Thought you might wanna come along.”

 

“Shepard? Commander Shepard? I’ve heard a lot about you.” The Krogan stated as he got closer to her, “ We’re both warriors Shepard. Out of respect, I’ll give you fair warning. I’m going to kill Fist.”

 

“ Fist knows your coming.” Garrus interjected, “ We’ll have a better chance if we all work together.”

 

“ My people have a saying: Seek the enemy of your enemy, and you will find a friend.”

 

Shepard smiled and shook the krogan’s hand, “ I think we are going to get along just fine Wrex.”

 

“ Let’s go. I hate to keep Fist waiting.” Wrex headed off towards the elevator. 

 

 

Shepard heard a soft beep as her omnitool relayed a message from Anderson. 

 

“ Ash, Anderson wants you to meet him in his office, there’s someone he wants you to talk to about what happened on Eden Prime.” Shepard turned to Ashley who nodded. 

 

“ Yes Ma’am. Don’t have too much fun without me Lt.” Ashley said as a parting goodbye as she headed towards the presidium.

 

“ Wrex could you go with her?” Shepard looked at the massive Krogan in front of her.

 

“ You need me to babysit?” 

 

“ No, I just would rather her not be alone right now. Plus I think you two would get along.”

 

Wrex sighed but agreed, “ You're in charge boss.”

 

“ Thanks Wrex.” Shepard smiled at the large krogan, he was an ideal character. 

 

She turned to Kaidan and Garrus, “ Let’s go get Fist.”

 

 


	24. Fist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After picking up garrus, kaidan and shepard head down to Chora’s den where Fist informs them of the quarian. The crew races to get to her in time.

** Shepard **

** Chapter Thirty Three- Fist **

** Chora’s Den **

** Citadel, 2183 C.E   **

 

When they arrived at the ‘gentlemen’s’ club deep in the Wards, Fist’s men were waiting. 

“ Brace yourselves, Fist isn’t going down without a fight.” Shepard stated as she motioned for Kaidan and Garrus to take cover on rather side of the door. She threw up a Biotic Barrier and drew her pistol. The boys gave Shepard the green light, and she opened the door to the club. 

 

All signs of patrons had vanished, replaced by a fully armed team of thugs. The door opened to reveal the Asari bartender at the ready with an assault rifle. Shepard took her out easy as Garuss sniped a Krogan on the far side of the room. Kaidan sent out a throw, knocking two Turian’s into each other before slamming them against the bar. Shepard motioned for the team to advance, Kaidan and Garus watching her flank. Two Krogan emerged from behind the orange crates in the back room and started to charge straight towards them. Shepard tossed out a Shockwave, knocking the two mercenaries onto their backs for Garrus and Kaidan to finish up with their firearms. 

 

They reached the far end of the bar, where they had previously encountered Wrex. The door was sealed shut. Shepard turned to the Sentinel, “ Think you can get this open Alenko?” He bent down and took a closer look as Garrus kept his scope focused on the club behind them. “ Shouldn’t be a problem, Commander.” Kaidan got to work bypassing the lock. It only took him a few seconds before the light turned green. “ Nice work Alenko.” Shepard shot him a quick smile before opening the door. Kaidan felt warm at her compliment, before hastily shaking it off. 

 

The door slid open smoothly, revealing two men in civilian clothes. They clearly were not expecting the door to open as they hastily drew their weapons. 

 

“ Stop right there! Don’t come any closer!”

 

“ Warehouse workers.” Garus noted, “All the real guards must be dead.”

“ Stay back… or we’ll shoot!” The two men protested. 

Shepard shrugged, “ Now would be a good time to look for better employment.” 

The men considered the thought for a second before putting away there weapons, “ Yeah, he doesn’t pay us enough for this.” The two men started to walk away, “ I never liked him anyways.” 

 

Shepard smirked at their loyalty. 

 

“ I never would have thought of that.” Garrus stated, impressed at how the commander handled the situation.

“ Shooting people isn’t always the answer.” Kaidan remarked. 

“ They were just dock workers, they had no stake in Fist’s cause.” Shepard started heading forward. “ They weren’t bad people.”

 

Shepard opened the next door, revealing Fist’s office. The man immediately drew his weapon. “ Why do I have to do everything myself?”

Shepard signaled for them to take cover behind the leather couch, as Fist activated two gun turrets. 

“ Time to die, little soldiers!” Fist was firing corrosive rounds with his shotgun. 

 

Kaidan threw out a barrier to protect the three of them as Shepard gave orders, “ Garrus, Overload the turret on the left, Kaidan Take out the one on the right. Ive got Fist.” The two men nodded affirmatively before executing there orders. Shepard, covered in the familiar biotic blue barrier, caught Fist in a stasis. He was frozen as his turrets were decimated. She ran up to him and removed his shotgun as the stasis began to wear out. Fist was unarmed, but he was mad, He started to lunge at the commander only to be greeted by a Fist of her own. He fell onto the ground, 

 

“ Wait! Don’t kill me! I surrender!” He covered his eye with his hand, _she hits hard for a girl_ he thought.

“ Smart move.” Shepard knelt down, “ Now, Tell me where the quarian is.”

“ She’s not here. I don’t know where she is. Thats the truth!” Fist started. 

“ He’s lying.” Garrus stated.

 

Shepard let her biopics flair, covering her in a menacing blue glow, Her eyebrows furrowed as Fist began to panic, “ Wait! Wait! I don’t know where the quarian is, but i know where you can find her.” Shepard gave him her best ‘mom knows you did something wrong and is waiting for your confession’ look and willed Fist to finish his story. 

 

“ The quarian isn’t here. Said she’d only deal with the Shadow Broker himself.”

“Impossible.” Garrus said, “ The Shadow Broker only works through his agents.”

 

Shepard let Fist stand up, his blue eyes and spiked up brown hair stood a few inches above her, “ Nobody meets the Shadow Broker. Ever. Even I don’t know his true identity.” His voice became cunning, “ But she didn’t know that. I told her I’d set a meeting up. But when she shows up, it’ll be Saren’s men waiting for her.”

 

“ Tell me where that meeting is. Now.” Shepard drew her pistol close to his face, they needed to save her. 

Fist backed up, “ Here on the wards. The back alley by the markets. She’s supposed to meet them right now. You can make it if you hurry.”

“ Am I just supposed to forget your part in all this?” She asked, accusingly.

“Hey! I came clean! I told you about the meeting! Besides, Ive got my own problems now.” Fist ran his fingers through his hair, “ The Shadow Broker wants me dead! I have to disappear. Forget about me. I’m a ghost.”

 

“ You get to live today Fist.” Shepard stared him down, “ But I don’t ever want to hear from you again. Also, I’m keeping your gun.” 

 

“ That quarian is dead if we don’t go now!” Garrus said and Shepard nodded, as she turned around a small OSD on the edge of the desk caught her eyes. She snagged it, in case it was something Emily Wang could use. As they headed towards Chora’s Den, they could hear mercenaries waiting for their chance to take them out. 

 

“ We don’t have time to deal with these men, follow behind me and step on it!” Shepard relayed her plan, “ Kaidan, keep us all covered with your barriers, Garrus you’re on shotgun duty, take out anyone who gets too close, I’ll take point and clear our path with a shockwave and throws. Got it?” Kaidan flared up his bionics and Garrus switched to his shotgun in a manor of affirmation. 

 

Shepard opened the door up as Kaidan set up a Barrier, she threw out a massive shockwave, knocking Saren’s thugs out of the way. She ran down the nearly cleared path towards the entrance of the club, as Garrus took out the few mercenaries who tried to get near the trio. They got out easy enough, Shepard ran threw the door into the back alley that was bathed in a sketchy red light. Towards the end of the hallway, she saw the quarian and gestured for the three to duck behind a conveniently placed crate. 

 

A Turian stepped closer to the young quarian, “ Did you bring it?”

The girl didn’t budge, “ Where’s the Shadow Broker? Where’s Fist?”

“ They’ll be here.” The turian said hurriedly, caressing her suit’s mask before heading to check her pockets, “ Where’s the evidence?”

The quarian swatted his hand away from her, “ No way. The deal’s off.”

Two salarians in full white and black armor emerged from behind another set of crates and pulled out their weapons. The quarian tossed out a grenade and dove for cover as Shepard and her men came out from hiding. The commander thew up a barrier on the Quarian as Garrus took down his tyrian counterpart. Kaidan finished and Shepard finished off the salarian’s with a quick set of throws, knocking them against the steps behind them. 

 

The quarian turned to her rescuers, still experiencing a surge of adrenalin. Her lavender enviro suit was deep in the red light. 

“ Fist set me up!” Her voice was being filtered through her mask, giving her a slightly synthesized tone, “ I knew I couldn’t trust him!”

“ Are you okay?” Shepard asked.

“ Nothing severe. “ The girl stopped pacing and turned toward the commander, “ I suppose I need to thank you. Who are you?”

“ My name is commander Shepard, I’m here to make sure you’re safe.” She gave her a warm smile, “ I’m looking for evidence against Saren Arturus.”

 

“ Then I believe i have a way to repay you for saving my life.” The quarian looked around suspiciously, “ But not out here in the open. We need to go somewhere safe.” 

“ The ambassador’s office.” Kaidan suggested, “ It’s safe there. He’ll want to see this anyway.”

 

 


	25. Spectre Status Recognized

** Shepard **

** Chapter Thirty Four- Spectre Status Recognized **

** Citadel Tower **

** Citadel, 2183 C.E   **

 

Udina was already upset when he heard Shepard arrive in his office. “ You’re not making my life ease, Shepard.” He didn’t even turn around. “Firefights in the Wards? All all-out assault on Chora’s Den? Do you know how many—“  He stopped when he saw the parade of Aliens following behind the Commander, his day just got even better. 

“ Who’s this? A quarian?” Udian shook his head as he crossed his arms, “ What are you up to, Shepard?”

“ This quarian has a name ambassador. She has evidence that can help us take down Saren. If you would stop jumping down my throat maybe I could tell you more. “ Shepard stood at military attention, arms folded behind her back. Anderson raised his eyebrow at her sass, but his eyes betrayed his amusement. Udina deserved that one.

The ambassador shook his head and readjusted his tone, “ I apologize, Commander. This whole thing with Saren has me a bit on edge.”

“ I understand Ambassador, it has been a long day.” She nodded amicably.

“ Maybe we should start at the beginning,” He turned to face the young quarian,” miss…?”

“ My name is Tali.” She gestured to herself as means of introduction, “ Tali’Zorah bar Rayya.”

“ We don’t see many quarian’s here.” Udian inquired, “ Why did you leave the flotilla?”

Tali began pacing, “ I was on my Pilgrimage, my right of passage into adulthood”

Shepard had never met a quarian before, she was thrilled to get to know more about Tali and her culture, “ I’ve never heard of the pilgrimage before, would you mind explaining it further?” 

“ It is a tradition among my people. When we reach maturity, we leave the ships of our parents and our people behind. Alone, we search the stars, only returning to the flotilla once we have discovered something of value. In this way, we prove ourselves worthy of adulthood.”

“ What kinds of things do you look for?” The commander asked.

“ It could be resources like food or fuel. Or some type of useful technology. Or even knowledge that will make life easier on the flotilla.” Tali elaborated, “ Through our Pilgramage, we prove that we will contribute to the community, rather than being a burden on our limited resources.” Tali wrung her hands nervously, she wasn’t used to talking about her people this much, most of her outside encounters with aliens hadn’t been very friendly. 

Shepard gave her an encouraging look, “ Please continue, Tali.” 

“ During my travels I began hearing reports of Geth. Since they drove my people into exile, The Geth have never ventured beyond the Veil. I was curious. I traced a patrol of Geth to an uncharted world. I waited for one to become separated from its unit. Then I disabled it and removed its memory core.”

Anderson had a puzzled expression, “ I thought the Geth fried their memory cores when they died. Some kind of defense mechanism.”

Shepard turned towards the quarian, “ How did you manage to preserve the memory core?”

“ My people created the Geth. If you are quick, careful, and lucky small caches of data can sometimes be saved. Most of the Core was wiped clean. But I salvaged something from its audio banks.” Tali opened her omnitool and accessed the data she had found. 

 

_Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit._

“ That’s Saren’s voice!” David exclaimed, excited to finally have something solid to show Saren’s malicious intent, “ This proved he was involved in the attack!”

Shepard’s brows were crinkled, “ He said Eden Prime brought him one step closer to finding the Conduit. Any idea what that means?”

“ The conduit must have something to do with the beacon. Maybe its some kind of Prothean technology… like a weapon!” Shepard smiled despite the situation, Anderson was clearly just glad to find evidence against Saren, _his first guess was always a weapon… I guess thats why he’s captain_ , she thought.

“Wait… there’s more.” Tali tinkered with her omni tool again, “ Saren wasn’t working alone.”

_Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit…And one step closer to the return of the Reapers._

 

 The second voice was of a raspy female, it low and slightly seductive in nature. But beyond that, Shepard didn’t have a clue who it was.

“ I don’t recognize that other voice,” Udina said, “ The one talking about Reapers.”

Shepard’s face was furrowed again, “ Reapers… why does that spund familiar? Are they some kind of new alien species?”

Tali’s mask was lit up in the orange glow of her omnitool, “ according to the memory core, the Reapers were a hyper-advanced machine race that existed 50,000 years ago. The Reapers hunted the Protheans to total extinction, and then they vanished. At least, thats what the Geth believe.”

Udina wasn’t impressed, “ Sounds a little far-fetched.”

But the commander was deep in thought, her mind was racing, “ The vision on Eden Prime— I understand it now. I saw the Protheans being wiped out by the Reapers!” Her head was playing flashbacks that racked her brain.

“ The Geth revere the Reaper’s as gods.” Tali added, “ The pinnacle of non-organic life. And they believe Saren knows how to bring the Reapers back.”

 

Udnia crossed his arms and shook his head in disbelief, “ The council is just going to love this.” It all sounded insane to him.

“ If the Reapers really are a threat, the Council needs to know.” Shepard resolved.

“ No matter what they think about the rest of this, those audio files prove Saren’s a traitor!” The captain reminded them.

The ambassador nodded, “ The Captain’s right. We need to present this to the Council right away.”

“ What about her?” Ashley interjected, “ The quarian?”

“ My name is Tali!” she shot Williams a glance before turning towards the commander, “ You saw me in the alley commander. You know what I can do. Let me come with you.”

“ What about your Pilgrimage?” 

“ The Pilgrimage proves we are willing to give of ourselves for the greater good. What does  it say about me if I turn my back on this? Saren is a danger to the entire galaxy. My Pilgramage can wait.”

Shepard gave Tali a warm smile, “ We sure could use your expertise. Welcome aboard Tali!”

“Thanks. You won’t regret this.” Her tone was pleased, it was hard to tell with the lack of facial ques, but Shepard was glad to have her along.

Udina carried on, “ Anderson and I will go ahead and get this ready with the Council. Take a few minutes to collect yourself, then meet us in the Tower.”

 

Shepard turned to face her crew. Ashley, Kaidan, Garrus, Wrex and now Tali. 

“ I have a few quick stops before we can meet with the council, you guys are welcome to tag along or just meet us at the Tower.” Shepard gave them an out, but no one took it. She laughed as the headed towards the Volus and Elcor Embassies next door. _They looked like a pack of thugs._

 

Inside were two massive creatures. They were gray and stood on four stump like legs. There face were full of folds and they had black button like eyes. They spoke in monotone. 

“ I understand what you are saying, but these a ligations are very serious. I can’t just—“

“ This is serious. My reputation is at stake. I spoke with the Consort in Confidence, and her alone. And she betrayed my confidence.” 

_That must be Xeltan._ She thought as she walked up to meet him. 

“ Hello there, human. Sincere apology, but I am here on business and cannot be distracted right now.”

“ Actually, that’s why I’m here, I’ve come to talk to you about your little problem.”

“ Curious, what do you know about the Consort and her relationship to me?”

“ Nothing, I just know that Sha’ira isn’t to blame. It was a Turian named Septimus who found out your secret.”

“ Unbelieving, I know this Septimus and he could not learn my secrets. The only way he could learn them is from the Asari Consort.”

“ Here.” Garrus handed over Septimus’ data pad, “ This should be enough for you.”

“ Confused, this is difficult to fathom. If the Turian could learn this on his own… dismayed, anyone can discover my secret.”

“ I’m sure it will work out, “ Shepard gave the Elcor a smile, “ The general has higher resources than most people.”

“ It is clear that the Consort was blameless. Startled Realization, I must speak with the Consort. She will be most displeased with my actions. Anxious request, please, human, if you will excuse me, I must go now.”

“ Good luck Xeltan.”

“ Farewell, Human.” The Elcor shook the floor as he lazily strode out of the office on his truck like limbs. The Elcor ambassador called out from behind his desk.

“ Thankful, that was a great thing you did, Commander.” He turned towards the short Volus on the opposite side of the desk, “ Approving, you see, Din, not all humans are as you say.”

“ Im sure the Earth-clan stands to profit from this in some way.” The Volus replied grumpily. 

“ Apologetic, do not listen to my Volus compatriot. It was a good thing you did, regardless of your intentions.”

Shepard nodded and thanked the Ambassadors before heading down the stairs towards the Embassy lobby where an indian man in a tan suit called out to her. 

“ Excuse me, Commander Shepard? Could you spare a moment of your time?”

“ Sure thing, how can I help?”

“ My name is Samesh Bhatia, forgive the intrusion but I have nowhere else to turn.

“ It’s no Trouble.” Shepard smiled gently.

“ My wife was a marine, She served in the two twelve on Eden Prime.”

“ Wait.” Ashley piped up from next to the commander, “ you’re wife was serviceman Nahrali Bhatia? I’m gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, I served in her Unit.”

“ Chief Williams? It is a pleasure, my wife spoke of you with great respect.”

Ashley’s eyes were soft, “ Im so sorry for your loss Mr. Bhatia. Nahrali was a good woman… what can we do for you?”

“ Ive requested that my wife’s body be returned to me for cremation, but the military has refused my request.”

“ Why did they refuse your request?They must have a reason” Shepard asked.

“ I don’t know. All I know is that they have declared it impossible for my wife to be returned to me.”

“ There’s no reason for your wife’s body to be held like this.” Shepard said. “ Just wait here.”

The man looked relieved, “ The man in charge of my case is Mr. Bosker. When I last saw him, he was in the expensive bar over there.” He bowed his head slightly, “ Thank you for your time. I just want to give my wife a proper funeral and the respect she deserves.”

 

The commander and her crew headed up the stairs immediately to see a man in an Alliance suit leaning against the wall. _That must be him_ , she thought.

“My Goodness! Your commander Shepard!” The man straightened up as he saw her approach. “ Your activities made for quite a briefing in the diplomatic corp. So, what can I do for you?”

“ Im here on behalf of Samesh Bhatia for his wife Nahralia.”

“ serviceman Nahrali Bhatia died on eden prime, as Mr. Bhatia no doubt told you, Her wounds are inconsistent with any type of weapon damage we’ve seen before, That is why her body is being held.”

“ You think her body might be dangerous of contaminated?” the commander asked.

“ No commander, she is not dangerous. Her body is in fact, extremely valuable to the Alliance. The tests we are conducting may lead to better defenses against Geth attacks.” The man nodded, “ respectfully, Serviceman Bhatia may save more lives in death, than she did in life.”

Ashley clenched her fist, she was getting really tired of bureaucracy. 

“ I understand what you are trying to do, but holding the body is wrong.” Shepard urged. 

“ Commander! you of all people should understand how far we must go to protect humanity!” 

“ Not if we loose are humanity in the process!” Shepard implored, “ I am out here fighting to stop crap like this!”

The man sighed, “ Alright Commander, you win. It was hard enough to refuse Mr. Bhatia, Im not going to risk an incident by refusing you. Tell Samesh that his wife’s body will be shipped back to Earth. I will go see to it myself.” 

Shepard gave the man a warm look,” Thank you.”

 

They headed back down where Samesh was waiting dutifully, It broke her heart to see a man who loved his wife so much have to suffer alone. 

“ Hello commander,” He was fidgeting with his hands nervously, “ has there been any word?”

“ I reminded Mr. Bosker what we are fighting for.” She replied gently, “ Your wife is coming home.”

“ Thank you.” He closed his eyes, “ I will return home and begin my preparations. It does not bring me happiness… but it may bring me peace.” He turned to leave.

“ Samesh?” Ashley called out, “ I don’t know if this helps, but your wife… Narali loved you very much, she missed your cooking, and she played recordings of you every night before she went to sleep.”

“ I know miss Williams.” Samesh looked far away, “ but thank you… its nice to hear it again.”

The man headed to the presidium as Shepard turned towards Ashley, “ you ok chief?”

Ashley sniffed, “ Yeah… doing better ma’am.”

***

 

The elevator ride up to the council chambers was a bit more crowded than the first time. The energy was much more positive as well.

“ There’s no way the Council can ignore us this time.” Garrus preached, “ Saren’s days as a Specter are done.”

“ Don’t congratulate yourself too much.” Wrex grumbled, “ All this time you were hunting for evidence, Saren was moving Forward with his plan.”

Wrex had a point, but Shepard’s mind was elsewhere, something about The Reapers made her concerned. She was confident they would pose a sizable threat… but the chances of the Council believing her were very slim. 

***

Shepard led her crew up to where Anderson was waiting for them. Udina was already presenting the Evidence to the council when he escorted them inside.

 

Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit…And one step closer to the return of the Reapers.

 

“ You wanted proof?” Udina paused dramatically before pointing towards the Council, “ There it is.”

 

“ This evidence is irrefutable, Ambassador.” The Turian Councilor stated, “ Saren will be stripped of his Spectre status and all efforts will be made to bring him in to answer for his crimes.”

 

The Asari Councilor turned towards the Turian, “ I recognize the other voice. The one speaking to Saren. Matriarch Benezia.” Her eyes showed confusion and concern.

“ Who is she?” Shepard asked.

“ Matriarchs are powerful asari who have entered the final stage of their lives.” Counselor Tevos explained, “ Revered for their wisdom and experience, they serve as guides and mentors to my people. Matriarch Benezia is a powerful biotic, and she had many followers. She will make a formidable ally for Saren.”

“ I’m more interested in the Reapers.” The Salarian added, “ What do you know of them?”

The Captain spoke, “ Only what was extracted from the Geth’s memory core. The Reapers were an ancient race of machines that wiped out the Protheans. Then they vanished.”

“ The Geth revere the Reapers as Gods,” Shepard added, “ and Saren is the prophet for their return.”

Anderson continued, “ We think the Conduit is the key to bringing them back. Saren’s searching for it. That’s why he attacked Eden Prime.”

“ Do we even know what this Conduit is?” The Salarian asked doubtfully.

“ Not yet, but Saren believes that it can bring back the Reapers,” Shepard said, “ That alone is cause for concern.”

“ Listen to what you’re saying!” The Turian Counselor scoffed, “ Saren wants to bring back the machines that wiped out all life in the galaxy? Impossible. It has to be. Where did the Reapers go? Why did they vanish? How come we’ve found no trace of their existence? If they were realm we’d have found something!”

 

“ I tried to warn you about Saren, and you refused to face the truth.” Shepard stated, “ Don’t make the same mistake again.”

Tevos looked down, “ This is different. You proved Saren betrayed the Council. We all agree he’s using the Geth to search for the Conduit, but we don’t really know why.”

The salarian continued, “ The Reapers are obviously just a myth commander. A convenient lie to cover Saren’s true purpose. A legend he is using to bend the Geth to his will.”

Shepard shook her head, she knew it was hard to believe, _but it was the truth!_ she was sure of it. “ Fiftty thousand years ago, the Reapers wiped out all galactic civilization. If Saren finds the Conduit, it will happen again.”

The Turian shook his head, “ Saren is a rogue agent on the run for his life. He no longer has the rights of resources of a Spectre. The council has stripped him of his position.”

“ That is not good enough!” Udina stepped in, “ You know he’s hiding somewhere in the Traverse. Send your fleet in!”

“ A fleet cannot hunt down one man, ambassador.” The salarian said.

“ A citadel fleet could secure the entire region. Keep the Geth from attacking anymore of our colonies.”

“ Or it could trigger a war with the Terminus Systems!” The turian replies, “ We won’t be dragged into a galactic confrontation over a few dozen human colonies!”

Shepard had a crazy idea, “ Then send me.” 

Everyone looked at her, “ I can take Saren down.” She was confident. 

“ The commander is right.” Tevos agreed, “ There is a way to stop Saren that doesn’t require fleets of armies.”

“ No!” The Turian shut down the idea before it had been fully fleshed out, “ It’s too soon! Humanity is not ready for the responsibilities that come with joining the Spectres“

“ Think about it councilor,” Shepard reasoned, “ The ambassador gets his Specter and you avoid war with the Terminous Systems. Everyone wins. I can take him down. I am sure of it.” _Someone needed to._

The councilors looked at the Turian expectantly. He shook his head before acquiescing. 

Councilor Tevos spoke next.

“ Commander Shepard- Step forward.”

She looked at Anderson who smiled encouragingly, and she stepped forward.

“ It is the decision of the Council that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel.”

“ Specters are not trained, but chosen.” The Salarian continued, “ Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle; those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file.”

“ Specters are an ideal, a symbol, The embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will.”

“ Specters bear a great burden. They are protectors of galactic peace. both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the Galaxy is theirs to uphold.”

Councilor Tevos concluded the ceremony, “ You are the First Human Specter, Commander. This is a great accomplishment for you and your entire species.”

Shepard smiled humbly, and gave a slight bow, “ I am honored, councilor.”

“ We are sending you into the Traverse after Saren.” The salarian charged, “ He is a Fugitive from justice, so you are authorize to use any means necessary to apprehend or eliminate him.”

“ Any idea where to find him?”

“ We will forward any relevant data to Ambassador Udina.”

“ This meeting of the council, is adjourned.”

 

She turned to face her old friend, Captain Anderson, who was beaming with pride. He extended his hand and  she took it with a smile. “ Congratulations, Commander.”  The ambassador was already listing things they still needed, a ship, crew, supplies… Anderson waved away his concerns, instead turning back to the girl, “ You’ll get access to special equipment and training now. You should head down to C-sec Academy and speak to the Spectre requisitions officer.” Shepard nodded and turned towards the rest of her crew. Tali and Ashley had their arms crossed, “ You would think the ambassador would be a little more grateful. He didn’t even thank you.” 

Shepard shrugged, “ He’s got a lot on his mind, plus, until I find Saren I really haven’t done anything.  If you guys have anything  you need to wrap up, now is probably a good time. I’ll take Ashley and Kaidan with me and we can all meet back at C-sec Academy in a couple of hours.” 

***

“ So, how does it feel to be the First Human Spectre, Commander?” Ashley asked as the trio headed back to see the Consort. “To be honest, it is intimidating.” Shepard said, “ I have to represent humanity’s potential, prove that we can run with the Turians and Asari… It’s daunting.”

“ I can’t think of anyone better suited for the job,” said Kaidan, “ um, ma’am”

“ Thanks Alenko, I just hope I can live up to expectations.” Shepard smiled as Nelena informed Sha’ira of their arrival. 

 

“ Ah, I am glad to see you have returned Lieutenant,” The Asari said after inspecting him top to bottom with her eyes. Kaidan coughed slightly before muttering an awkward thank you, “ The consort will see you now. “


	26. The Commanding Officer is Ashore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Incomplete.

** Shepard **

** Chapter Thirty Four- The Commanding Officer is Ashore **

** Normandy SR-1 **

** Citadel Space, 2183 C.E   **

 

_This isn't right._ The Commander thought as she stood awaiting decontamination. Anderson had done everything for her and she was taking away his command. She took a deep breath as the airlock let her inside the ship— _my ship_. 

 

“Hey Commander,” Joker’s familiar voice greeted her as she stood next to him in the cockpit. “ I heard what happened to Captain Anderson. Survives a hundred battles, and then gets taken down by backroom politics,” he shook his head while she placed a rogue strand of hair behind her ear. “ Just watch your back, Commander. Things go bad on this mission, you're next on the chopping block.”

 

“ Captain Anderson should be the one in charge, It’s like I’m stealing the ship from him.”

 

“Yeah the Captain got screwed,” Joker looked up at the commander, “ But its not like you could've stopped it. Nobody’s blaming you. Everyone on this ship is behind you, Commander. One Hundred percent.” 

 

Joker turned back to his console, “intercom’s open. If you've got anything you'd like to say to the crew, now’s the time.”

 

Shepard took in a weighted breath, _how am i supposed to start this_ , 

 

“ This is Commander Shepard speaking,” her voice crackled throughout the ship, “ We have our orders: find Saren before he finds the Conduit,” _that’s a good start._

“I won't lie to you, crew. This mission isn't going to be easy.But Humanity must do its part. A human colony was attacked, but we know Saren wont stop there. Every race is threatened by Saren, and every race must work together if we have chance. Our enemy knows we are coming. And I guarantee you, wherever he searches for the conduit, we will be there. We will hunt him to the very ends of the Galaxy and bring him down.” The crew looked up at the disembodied voice, a new sense of purpose surging through their veins.

 

“ Humanity needs to do this,” her voice resolved, “ not just for our own sake, but for the sake of every other species in Citadel Space. Saren must be stopped, and I promise each of you… we will stop him!”

 

Shepard released the button, ceasing the cracking of the com. Joker looked up at her, a new picture of determination. “ Well said Commander, Captain would be proud.”

 

“The Captain gave up everything so I could have this chance.”She looked up at the galaxy above her, “We can’t fail.”

 

“Yes ma’am!” Joker gave her a salute as she walked towards the CIC.

 

Shepard rubbed her head, it had been a long day. She was still coming to terms with it all, in a few hours she had made history, taken command of the most advanced starship in perhaps the galaxy, and met her biggest fan. _Conrad_ , she chuckled as she leaned against the wall of the elevator, he wasprecious. It was a lot to take in. 

 

 But right now she had only two things on her mind, Food and Medicine. Her head was killing her.Dr. Chakwas had given her an extra dose of pain meds when they first arrived on the citadel. Shepard reached into the cabinet in the mess hall and retrieved a familiar Captain’s mug. She smiled nostalgically at the slightly yellowed letters as she filled it up with water and downed her pill. 

 

After grabbing a ration tray and filling her mug with some warm hot chocolate, she headed towards the table. Kaidan was already sitting at the booth. 

 

“ Mind if I sit with you?” Kaidan met eyes with her and adjusted his posture.

 

“ Go right ahead, ma’am.” She smiled and took a seat across from him.She looked exhausted. “ Been a crazy day, huh?”

 

“ That is an understatement, “ she agreed wholeheartedly, “ and I imagine it’s just going to get crazier.”

 

“ well, don't forget to take care of yourself,sleep is a good thing- ma’am” he added to make sure he didn't sound too informal. 

“ I appreciate the concern, I just have a few million things I need to accomplish first. I need to make sure the crew is settled…“ she took a sip from the mug, “ then sleep will be a thing.” 

 

“ So, can you tell me where our first stop will be?” Kaidan said as a means of furthering conversation.

 

Her eyes widened, “ I have to plot a course on the galaxy map don't I”

 

Kaidan chuckled under his breath, “ That would be a commanding officer’s job, yes ma’am.”

 

She began to gather her stuff, “ I hadn't even thought about that… I have no idea how that thing even works! Anderson never let me touch it.” She stood up, “ thank you for reminding me how unqualified I am for this, “ she said jokingly, “ I’ll just go do that thing and then I will give everyone a debriefing.”

 

Kaidan smiled at her, “ Don’t worry about it Commander.”

 

_maybe she did need some sleep._

 

 

“ Hey commander,” Joker was surprised to see her back so soon, “ you need something?” 

 

“ I realized I never actually plotted a course, and then I realized that I really had no clue how to work the galaxy map and figured it would be better not to just wing it with the most expensive ship in the Alliance fleet.” 

 

“ So, you came to the most knowledgeable and dashing pilot in the Alliance for advice?”

 

“Nailed it.” she gave him a smile. 

 

“ You look exhausted, Commander. why don't you just tell me where you want to go and get some rest?” 

 

“ I need to go to the Artimus Tao Cluster…”

 

“ That has about a dozen systems in it, anywhere specific?” Joker mused at the sleepy girl next to him. 

 

“ I’ll have to get back to you on that. We are looking for a prothean achiaologist.. so somewhere with ruins. “ 

 

“ I can run a search for you,” Joker started typing into his console, “ In the meantime, why don't you get some rest.”

 

Shepard reluctantly agreed and headed down to the captain’s cabin. She laid down in the bed, thoughts swimming through her head. Distorted images of synthetic slaughter hit her as the beacon scrabbled her mind. She wished she could understand what it was trying to say! The events from the day resurfaced as she pulled the blanket over her shoulders. _First Human Specter, The citadel, A gang of aliens on her crew, being in charge of the Normandy…_ she flipped onto her side and opened her eyes. On the bed side was a holophotgraph of her and David from the SSV Tokyo.H _e had kept a photo of them._ She felt a wave of guilt before thankfulness and determination swept over her as she drifted to sleep.

 

 


	27. Therum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard's squad gains a new member.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not 100% pleased with this chapter, but I needed to get past it. I've written a bunch for this story, but none of it is chronological so I can't post it yet. I'm hoping to get into more character development and interpersonal relationships in general.

Shepard  
Chapter Thirty Four- Therum

Prothean Ruins  
Therum, 2183 C.E

“Looks like we are walking from here.” Shepard said after attempting to ram the Mako between two pillar like rocks. Mumbled sounds of relief came from the crew in the back, the Mako wasn't exactly built for extended periods of travel, and Shepard wasn’t the best driver.

She hopped onto the red rocky planet and looked over at the red lava behind her, thankful that her suit had a cooling unit. Kaidan and Garrus emerged from the vehicle while Shepard double checked her equipment.  
“ The dig sight should be up on that ridge, stay close, we don’t know if we are the first one’s here.”  
Kaidan and Garrus gave affirmative nods.  
“ also lets not fall into any lava.” Garrus added  
“ Good plan.” Kaidan said before following Shepard past the pillars.

Up on the ridge was a metallic structure that served as the entrance to the mine. The outside was adorned with numerous ladders and Metallic crates. They made there way up with little hassle.

“ Incoming Drop ship!” Garrus yelled out and Shepard motioned for them to take cover behind one of the metal crates. A dozen Geth Stalkers landed and began crawling on the walls in a creepy frog like manor. The ground shook as an enormous Geth Armature was dropped just in front of them.

“Damn it.” Shepard formed a plan of attack, “Ok, no matter what, stick to cover and keep an eye on your shields. Kaidan, maintain a barrier around us. Garrus I need you to work that sniper riffle of yours on that armature, hit its weak points. I’ll keep the stalkers off of us.”

The two men gave an affirmative before executing her plan. Garrus nailed the armature’s leg joints and flashlight head while Shepard utilized throws and shockwaves to hurl the stalkers away from them and into a pool of lava. The armature began to shake and collapse in a pile of electric rubble, as the air feel silent except for the heavy breathing of the crew and the electric buzz of decrepit technology.

“Nice work.” Shepard looked back at Kaidan and Garrus with a smile, “let’s get inside before another ship spots us.”

They accessed the mine entrance from the scaffolding and descended in a long tube like passageway. The mine shaft opened up into a large open space where more scaffolding had been placed. On the far wall, were layers of rounded white tile openings covered in what looked like a blue barrier.

“ Alright, we are looking for an asari Archeologist.” Shepard said as they rode down a makeshift elevator.

“ A civilian?” Garrus said, “ we’d better hurry then.”

“Wait.” Kaidan said, “ Do you hear that?”

They listened as they heard a muffled female voice “Hello? can anyone here me? I need help!”

“ Good ears Alenko.” Shepard headed towards the wall of barriers, “ Come on. “

On the Lower level of openings, an asari was hovering a few feet off the ground inside one of the blue barriers. She was wearing a deep green lab coat and appeared unable to move anything more than her head. Her eyes widened as she saw Shepard approaching.

“ Can you here me? Im trapped! I need help!”

“ Doctor T’soni I assume?” Shepard looked up at the Asari.

“ How do you-? Never mind, Yes I’m Dr. Liara T’soni. I was studying these ruins when the get arrived. I activated these prothean defenses to protect myself, now I’m trapped.”

“ Calm down, we will get you out of there.” Shepard gave her a warm smile, “ Do you know how to shut it down?”

“ Yes, It’s a protean barriers curtain, There is a console behind me that can deactivate them. Or at least I think it will. But you need to figure out away to get past the barrier curtain first.”

“ I spotted a mining later on the floor level.” Garrus noted, “ Might come in handy.”

“ Good thinking Garrus.” Shepard turned back to the doctor, “ We will be right back.”

They headed down to the base level and Garrus began hacking the laser. Kaidan and Shepard stood back as the laser activated and shot a massive whole in the wall underneath tiara’s location. Garrus looked back at Shepard and beamed.

“ Wrex would have enjoyed that. “ She lead the way up the hole to the console behind the Curtain.

“ you made it!” Liara turned her heard back as much as she could, “ I didn’t think anyone could get past the barrier!”

“ We had superior firepower.” Garrus mused as Shepard disengaged the console. Liara dropped to the ground with a gentle thud.

“Thank the Goddess you came in time.” The asari spoke with a gentle voice.

“ We don’t want to stick around too long.” Shepard turned to her as the mine began to rumble.  
“ the mining laser must have triggered a seismic event!” Liara looked a bit panicked.  
Shepard radioed Joker, “ Joker, We need an extraction. Hone in on my signal and double time it!”  
They followed Liara towards a massive elevator and began to make there assent. They rose about two floors when the platform stopped and a Krogan with a squad or Geth troopers emerged.

“ Commander Shepard.” the Krogan spoke, “ you have been causing Saren quite a bit of trouble.”  
“ Now really isn’t the time for this.” She said gesturing at the crumbling mine, “ Neither of us will make it out if we don’t go now. “  
“Sounds like a challenge.” The Krogan laughed and began the attack. Kaidan shielding Liara while Shepard let out a massive shockwave. Throwing the Geth over the ledge. Pulling out her shotgun, She fired pyro rounds at the Krogan who had begun to charge. He caught on fire and Garrus finished him off with a shot between the eyes.

“ Nice Work!” Shepard ran towards the console to reactivate the lift, “ Let’s hurry it up!”

the vibrations surrounding the squad steadily crescendoed as the ruins began to crumble around them.

“ Could this elevator move any slower?!” Shepard yelled exasperated, bouncing up and down on her toes, nervous about getting everyone out on time.  
The elevator finally finished its slow climb as Shepard shouted for her squad to get moving towards the extraction point. A larger tremor caused a section of the scaffolding to collapse, blocking the path to the normandy. Shepard gestured for everyone to jump across, giving them a boost with a biotic lift. The entrance to the mine crumbled into rumble as Shepard began her run across the ledge, reaching the normandy just before the rest of the scaffolding crumbled into the lava below.


	28. Post Therum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcoming aboard the Prothean Expert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot Plot Plot

Shepard  
Post Therum

Normandy SR-1  
Citadel Space, 2183 C.E

“Too close Commander. Ten more seconds and we would’ve ben swimming in molten sulphur.”  
Joker’s voice came from above the crew gathered in the comm room, “ The normandy isn’t equipped to land in exploding volcanoes. They tend to fry our sensors and melt our hull. Just for future reference.” his voice was laced with sarcasm.  
Shepard rubbed the bridge of her nose, close calls were becoming way too familiar. Her attention was drawn to the newest member of their crew, shifting uncomfortably in the leather chair.

  
“ We almost died out there and your pilot is making jokes?” her deep blue eyes wide and confused as she looked up at the commander.

  
“ Joker pretty much saved our asses back on Therum. I think he’s earned the right to a few bad jokes.”  
“ I see.” the doctor rubbed her head crest, reevaluating the situation, “ It must be a human thing.”

  
Across the room, Ashley and Kaidan exchanged glances mixed somewhere between amusement and bewilderment.  
Liara rubbed her hands together before continuing in an academic manor, “ I don’t have a lot of experience dealing with your species, Commander. But I am grateful to you.” her voice softened slightly, “ You saved my life back there. And not just from the volcano. Those geth would have killed me…or dragged me off to Saren.”  
The Asari’s expression lingered between awe and gratitude as she gazed up at the Commander.

  
“ What did Saren want with you?” Kaidan jumped in, shifting forward in his chair, “ Do you know anything about the Conduit?”  
Liara shifted her focus towards the lt, “ Only that it was somehow connected to the Protean extinction. That is my real area of expertise.” she sat up strait in her seat, addressing the whole room, “ I have spent the past fifty years trying to figure out what happened to them.”  
Shepard shifted her weight to one leg, placing a hand on her hip, “ How old are you exactly?”

  
“ I hate to admit it,” liara looked down meekly, “ but I am only a hundred and six.”  
“ Damn!” Ashley chimed in, “ I hope I look that good when I’m your age.”  
“ A century may seem like a long time to a short lived species like yours.” lira continued, the joke lost to her, “ But among the asari, I am barely considered more than a child. That is why my research has not received the attention it deserves. Because of my youth, other asari scholars tend to dismiss my theories on what happened to the Protheans.”

“ That’s one of the reasons we wanted to find you.” Shepard turned to the young asari with genuine eyes, “ Did your research turn up anything interesting?”

“What is interesting is what I did not turn up.” Liara’s eyes lit up while Wrex leaned further back in his chair, his head resting to one side. “ There is remarkably little archeological evidence of the Protheans. And even less that might explain why they disappeared. It is almost as if someone did not want the mystery to be solved.” Her voice shifted towards conspiracy theory excitement, “ It’s like someone came along after the Protheans were gone and cleansed the galaxy of clues. But here is the incredible part. According to my findings, the Protheans were not the first galactic civilization to mysteriously vanish. This cycle began long before them.”

“ How’d you manage to piece that together, without evidence?” Ashley asked.

“ I have been working on this for fifty years.” liara gestured, “ I have tracked down every scrap and shred of evidence. Eventually subtle patterns start to emerge. Patterns that hint at the truth.” Ashley’s raised eyebrows elicited further explanation,” it is difficult to explain to someone else. I cannot point to one specific thing to prove my case. It is more of a feeling derived from a half-century of dedicated research. But I know I’m right. And eventually, I will be able to prove it. There were other civilizations before the Protheans. This cycle has repeated itself many times over.”

Shepard tucked a stray curl behind her ear, “ What do you mean by cycle? Who came before?”

“ The galaxy is built on a cycle of extinction.” Dr. T’soni became more comfortable and confident while discussing her research, “ Each time a great civilization rises up, it is suddenly and violently cast down. Only ruins survive. The Protheans rose up from a single world until their empire sinned the entire galaxy. Yet even they climbed to the top on the remains of those who came before. Their greatest achievements, the mass relays and the Citadel, are based on the technology of those who came before them.” Wrex shifted forward in his seat next to the doctor, leaning in as she continued, “ And then, like all the other forgotten civilizations throughout galactic history, the Protheans disappeared. I have dedicated my life to figuring out why.”

“ I might be able to help you with that.” the commander shifted her weight to the other leg, “ They were wiped out by a race of sentient machines. The Reapers.”

“The— The Reapers?” Liara’s eyes betrayed utter confusing as she met the commander’s gaze, “ But I have never heard of— How do you know this? What evidence do you have?”

“ There was a damaged Prothean beacon on Eden Prime. It burned a vision into my brain… It’s a bit jumbled, I’m still trying to figure out what it all means.”

“ Visions?” Liara spoke slowly, considering the new data, “ Yes… that makes sense. The beacons were designed to transmit information directly into the mind of the user. Finding one that still works is extremely rare.” her tone shifted to excitement again, as if she was on the brink of a new discovery, “ No wonder the geth attacked Eden Prime. The chance to acquire a working beacon— even a badly damaged one— is worth almost any risk. But the beacons were only programed to interact with Prothean physiology. Whatever information you received would have been confused, unclear.” She looked back at shepard, her speech slowing once again, her blue eyes full of awe. “ I am amazed you were able to make sense of it all. A lesser min would have been utterly destroyed by the process. You must be remarkably strong willed commander.”

“ This isn’t helping us find Saren, or the Conduit.” Kaidan interrupted, shifting uncomfortably, the way Liara was looking at Shepard made him antsy. like she was looking into her soul. Ashley smirked to herself at alenko’s obvious jealousy, he’s completely clueless.

“Of course. You are right.” Liara adjusted her posture, nodding towards Kaidan, “ I am sorry, my scientific curiosity got the better of me. Unfortunately, I do not have any information that could help you find the Conduit. Or Saren.”

That would have been too easy, shepard mused, “ I’m not sure why Saren wanted you out of the picture. But it looks like we could use your expertise. We would love to have you aboard the Normandy, Dr. T’soni.”

“ Thank you commander.” Liara’s voice was genuine, “ Saren might come after me again. I cannot think of nowhere safer than here on your ship. And I’d be glad to provide any information I can on the Protheans.”

“ and her biotics will come in handy when the fighting starts.” Wrex’s voice boomed into the conversation.  
“ keeping our priorities straight, huh Wrex.” Garrus teased.

“Welcome to the squad Liara.” Shepard gave her a warm smile. If her mom really is working with Saren, she’ll probably need a friendly group of misfits to help her through.

“ Thank you commander.” Liara stood up from her chair, “ I am very grateful—whoa” her eyes went out of focus as she tried to find her center again, “ I am afraid I am feeling a bit light-headed.”

“ When was the last time you ate? or slept?” Alenko concerned voice came from behind the commander, he had stood up instinctively as Liara became pale, “ Dr. Chakwas should take a look at you.”

“ It is probably just mental exhaustion, coupled with the shock of discovering the Protheans’ true fate.” the asari downplayed her fatigue, embarrassed being such a hassle, she turned to shepard, “ I need some time to process all this. Still, it could not hurt to be examined by a medical professional. It will give me a chance to think things over. If we are finished here commander?”

“ We can talk after you’re feeling better,” She turned back towards Kaidan, “ can you take her down to the medbay?”

“ aye aye ma’am” Kaidan said absurdly happy that she asked him, and her gracious smile did nothing to calm his irrational thoughts as he led Liara down to see Karen.

“The rest of you are dismissed. Go get some food and rest. you’ve earned it.” Shepard released the rest of the crew as Joker came in over the PA.  
“ Mission reports are filed Commander. Want me to patch you through to the Council?”

“ Might as well, Thanks Joker.”

“ setting up the link now, Commander.”

Shepard turned to the back wall were holographic versions of the council were being broadcast.

“ We’ve received your report, Commander.” The asari councilor spoke, “ I understand Dr.T’Soni is on the Normandy.”  
“ I assume you’re taking the necessary security precautions?” The Turian councilor said gruffly.  
“Liara wants to help us, After all, the geth were trying to kill her.”

“Benezia would never allow Saren to kill her daughter.” said the Asari.”

“Maybe she doesn’t know.” The salarian considered.

“ or maybe we don’t know her.” countered the turian, “ We never expected she could become a traitor.”

“ At least the mission was a success”

“ Apart from the utter destruction of a major Prothean ruin.” the turian shifted his gaze to Shepard, “ was that really necessary?”

“Unfortunately the Geth were crawling all over those ruins. We were lucky to make it out alive.” Shepard said with a high level of diplomatic decorum, “ I can assure you, I don’t make a habit of destroying historical sites, nor do I take such destruction lightly.”

“ Of course commander,” The salarian nodded, “ the mission must always take priority.”

“ Good luck Commander.” the Asari councilor concluded, “ Remember: we are all counting on you.”

No pressure. Shepard thought as the holographic figures dissolved leaving her alone. She let out a breath she hadn’t realize she was holding and leaned on the railing. It seemed Liara was just as in the dark as the rest of them.

***

It was late, most of the crew had separated into their respective corners on the ship as Shepard headed up to the bridge. She had spent the better part of the 3 hours working on official reports, combing through data on the geth, Protheans, Saren, and anything she could find on The Reapers. so far, nothing substantial, or particularly helpful had turned up. She needed a break, she had made herself a cup of Hot chocolate in Anderson’s old mug and made another in a white one with a sleek navy silhouette of the normandy on the side. That one was Joker’s. 

 

“ I prefer gold to silver.” Joker started as he heard Shepard approaching, “ you know, for my medal. I figured you’d recommend me for one since I pulled your, uh, boots out of the fire.”

 

She rolled her eyes, playing along, “ You know, if we present you with a medal, you’ll end up sitting on stage listening to politicians make speeches for couple of hours.”

 

“ that’s a good point. They’d probably make me shave, too. I spend the last seven weeks working on this baby. No medal’s worth that. Anyways, what’s up?”

 

“ figured you could use a pick me up.” she smiled as she handed him his mug and took the seat next to him. 

 

“ ooo, are you trying to get on my good side? ‘cuz it might be working.” Joker winked as he took a sip.

 

“ Good to know you’re so easy to please." She chuckled, crossing her legs, "I just needed a distraction for a bit, and I wanted to thank you, a real, honest, thank you for getting me and my crew out safely.” She knew he already knew she was grateful, but she needed to say it to his face. 

 

“ Don’t worry about it. You’ve already repaid me by bringing aboard that sexy asari doctor.”

 

“ Gotta keep things interesting around here.” she shrugged, knowing Joker was harmless. The two of them enjoyed their hot chocolate, while gazing out at the galaxy, occasionally swapping jokes and jabs, but mostly just enjoying a bit of silent downtime. Shepard knew she needed to sleep, but she couldn't bring herself to face her nightmares. The vision, garbled and confused, thousands of voices crying out for help, the whining of synthetic machinery, and the flashes of red and white light-- their was too much she couldn't comprehend, too much out of her control. No, right now, she needed a break. 

The gentle hum of the Normandy coupled with the aimless swirls of color that painted the endless void created a soothing oasis. A blanket of warmth coated her body as she leaned back in the co-pilot chair, listening to Joker's sporadic musings.

Joker glanced over to his commander and shook his head with a smile. How she managed to fall asleep so quickly was beyond him. Probably the most unorthodox CO he'd ever had, not that he was complaining. Anderson had asked him to look after her and he had a feeling the worst was yet to come. But for now, Joker was content to help Shepard in this small way. 

He wouldn't wake her, no, the galaxy could wait until morning. 


	29. Midnight Museings

**Kaidan**

**Normandy SR-1**

**Citadel Space, 2183 C.E**

“ Hey Joker—“ Kaidan’s voice was swiftly silenced by a sharp turn of the head from the pilot’s seat. He followed Joker’s gaze to the the adjacent chair where Shepard lay fast asleep. Her long brown hair tumbled messily down her shoulder from underneath Joker’s baseball cap. he felt a warm sensation flood his face as he looked down at his CO’s flushed face, completely peaceful away from the chaos of the galaxy.  
“ she’s been here all night.” Joker whispered, “ try not to wake her ok?”  
Kaidan nodded, “ I’m surprised you let her wear your hat.”  
“ It wasn’t really a choice,” he shrugged as he got up carefully from his seat, “ plus she looked better in it.”  
“ I won’t argue with you there.” he gave a hushed chuckle, “ I’ll keep an eye on her, try and get some rest Joker.”  
“ Don’t try anything funny Kaidan.” Joker laughed as the Lt. shot him a harsh glare, “night”. Joker headed down to the crew deck and Kaidan settled into the pilot’s chair.

He wasn’t as skilled a pilot as joker, but he had enough technical training to qualify him to handle the normandy temporarily in case of danger. Joker didn’t like giving up the helm, but he was ultimately human and needed his rest. Kaidan gave the dashboard a standard cursory overview, the autopilot handled pretty much everything in-between planets, giving the LT little to do. he leaned back in the chair and looked absentmindedly at his sleeping copilot. Her breathing was in time with the hum of the normandy, her hands tucked under her cheek and legs pulled up. A small smile appeared on Kaidan’s face as he kept watch over her. she really is beautiful. He turned his gaze to the above observation window and marveled at the stars above them. The beauty of the galaxy never ceased to captivate him. His thoughts wandered to earth, and his parents back in Vancouver. Nights spent overlooking the coast on their balcony during warm summer months. The sound of cool crashing waves, and casual laughter… His mind shifted to a memory of a smile. A gentle, encouraging smile. A soft voice calling out to him, Rahna. Her image slowly shifted, distorting into a broken girl her tears painting fear on her face…

A soft moan snapped kaidan out of his memory. Shepard shifted and stretched in her chair, her eyes slowly fluttering open.  
“ Hey there, Commander” He said gently.  
“ Kaidan?” Her voice was soft, as she gathered the strands of hair in her face and moved them behind her ear and adjusting Joker’s cap, “ What happened to Joker?”  
“ I let him get some rest. He didn’t want to wake you.”  
“ Figures, I didn’t mean to fall asleep… what time is it?”  
“ It’s 3:00am, everyone but the night crew are asleep.”  
“ hm.” She looked like she was considering something briefly before shifting onto her side and facing him, “ how’d you get stuck with night duty?”  
“ I volunteered.” he shrugged, “ I’m a bit of a night owl, so I’m usually up. I find it kind of peaceful.”  
“ I always loved the nights.” she turned to look up at the stars, “ Back home, it was the only time I could see the stars… I couldn’t see much with all the city lights, but I would lay by my window and watch the skyline for hours at night. Just contemplating the vastness of the universe… and how I wanted to be a part of it.”  
Kaidan looked over at her, “ I know what you mean… just being alone with my thoughts…”  
She met his eyes, “ got a lot on your mind Kaidan?”  
“ well,” his thoughts got all scrambled for a moment as her blue eyes focused on him. “ Yeah, we’ve got a lot going on here with saren, the reapers, and our newest crew member.”  
“ Yeah, Joker already thanked me for providing him with more eye candy.” Shepard joked.  
“ She seems nice enough.” he shrugged, “ I mean if you like the bookish sort.”  
“ Any intentions there, Lieutenant?” Her voice was lighthearted as she focused on the stars.  
“ none, Commander.” His voice softened, “ I prefer adventurous women.”

  
She turned towards him, traces of a small smile on her lips. He felt his stomach react and he glanced towards the dashboard, busily checking numbers that didn’t matter.  
“ Then there’s Saren,” Kaidan shifted conversation, _completely natural_ , “ He’s looking for records on some kind of galactic extinction. But we can’t get backup from the Council? sorry commander. There’s writing on the wall here, but someone isn’t reading it.”  
“ I hear you.” She turned on her back, “ The Council doesn’t want to believe anything’s wrong. I’d call it human nature, but…”  
“ I— it just seems like a group thats been around as long as the Council should see this coming.” He abandoned his number watch and leaned back, “ It’s funny. We finally get out here, and the final frontier was already settled. And the residents don’t even seem impressed by the view. Or the dangers.”  
“ Well, well, you’re a romantic.” Shepard turned her head towards him, “ Did you sign on for the dream, Alenko? Secure man’s future in Space?”  
He exhaled briefly, “ Yeah, I read a lot of those book when I was a kid. Where the hero goes to space to prove himself worthy of a woman he loves. Or you know, for justice.” He felt his face warm as he met her eyes again, Her smile reminding him of Rhana, “ Maybe i was a romantic in the beginning. But I though about it after Brain Camp— ah sorry, “ Biotic Acclimation and Temperance training.” I;m not looking for the dream. I just want to do some good. See whats out here.”

  
She smiled, as his words mirrored her own motivations  
kaidan felt a desire to fill the silence again, as his military training kicked in , “ Sorry if I get too informal. Protocol wasn’t a big focus in BAaT”  
“What was it like?”  
“Biotic Acclimation and Temperance” didn’t last past the airlock. To the kids they hauled in, it was “Brain Camp. Sorry, “hauled in” is unkind.” his voice shifted to a professional tone, “We were “encouraged to commit to an evaluation of our abilities, so an understanding of biotics could be compiled.”” he shook his head, “There are worse results of “accidental” exposure to element zero in the womb. Beats the brain tumors some kids grew up with.”  
“ Is there some question about how you were exposed?”  
“My mother was downwind of a transport crash. It was before there were human biotics. A little after the discovery of the Martian ruins. It only gets iffy around ’63 when Conatix was running out of first-gen subjects. Until then, they’d relied on accidentals. Bunch of guys in suits show up at your door after school. Next thing you know, you’re out on Jump Zero.”  
“ Gregarin Station right?” He nodded, “by the time I was in position to get biotic training that facility had already shut down… what was it like?”  
“The grand gateway to humanity looks a lot better in the vids. Biggest and farthest facility we had for decades. Right on the termination shock, the outer edge of the solar system. It’s where they did all the “goose chase” FTL research. Before we caught on to using mass effect fields. It was as sterile research platform when I was there.”  
“ At least you weren’t alone out there.” he thought he saw a hint of sadness in her face.  
“ That’s true. We did have a little circle that’d get together every night before lights-out. We didn’t have much to do, though. It was a research platform then, and Conatix kept Jump Zero off the extranet. To prevent leaks.”  
“ Then you must have had plenty of time to get to know each other.”  
“Yeah,” his mind took him back, “We’d sit around and bull every night after dinner. Play cards or network games. There was this girl named Rahna who had a little circle grow up around her…She was from Turkey. Her family was very rich. But she was smart, and charming as hell. Beautiful, but not stuck up about it.” his thoughts flowed out without a filter, “Like you, I guess. Ma’am.” _real smooth alenko_. but she didn’t seem to dwell on it. They met eyes again.  
“ Sounds like she was special to you.”  
“ she was. Maybe she felt the same, but…” flashes of Rahna’s petrified face broke his reminiscing, “ Things never fell together. Training. You know.”  
She nodded gently.  
“ Anyway this was supposed to be a casual debrief, not a bull session about stuff that happened years ago.” I’ve wasted enough of her time…  
She sat up and looked him in eye, “ I’m interested. I wanted to get to know you a little better, that’s all.” She began to get up out of the chair, “ Thanks for watching over me tonight, and for the talk, Kaidan.”  
“ well, you’re welcome. Ma’am.” he was taken aback by her words, uncertain if he was reading into things. “ you make a habit of getting this personal with everyone?” he blurted out, needing a better read on the situation.  
She turned back to face him over her shoulder, “ No, I don’t. We’ll talk again later.” she smiled as he felt his face heat up.  
“ I’ll uh— I’ll need some time to process that, Commander.” _relax kaidan_ “ But yeah, I’d like that.”


	30. Post Feros

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been stuck writing the side quests and the actual mission but I've been dying to post something so I decided to skip over it and add it in later! So here ya go!

Normandy 

Feros Orbit, 2183 C.E

 

“ Hey Commander, uh next time we touch down, lets try to avoid colonies of mutant zombies ok?” Joker jibed as Shepard reached the bridge. 

“ What? too much excitement for ya?” 

“ Just thinking out loud here. I’ve sent off the Feros report commander. Want me to patch you through to the council?”

“Patch them through Joker.” Shepard said as she headed to the conference room.

“Commander.” The holographic form of the Asari councilor greeted her, “ Exo Geni should have told us about the Thorian. It would have made your job a lot easier.”

“ You might have been able to bring it in for study instead of destroying it.” The salarian chimed in.

“ The thorian liked to enslave minds. Anyone who studied it would have ended up as one of its thralls. “

“ Perhaps it is for the best then.” The asari noted, “ At least the colony was saved.”

“ Of course it was saved!” The turian scoffed, “ Shepard would go to any lengths to help a human colony.”

“ Being human had nothing to do with it. they were in trouble.”

“ Admirable.” said the salarian, “ but sometimes specters have to make sacrifices. I hope you’re willing to do that when the time comes.”

“ Goodbye commander.We will be waiting for your next report.” 

The council signed off, and Shepard let out a sigh. It had been a long day and she needed a nice long shower to wash off the traces of the thorian’s thralls. 

She headed towards the mess, her hair still curly and damp, wearing her navy and grey fatigues to make herself a cup of hot chocolate.Kaidan was already at the machine, brewing a cup of coffee. 

“ Hey LT.” Shepard smiled, grabbing the Navy Captain’s mug from the locker. 

“ Hey commander, Glad there aren't many aliens like the Thorian.” He chuckled, “ I don't think my stomach could take it.”

“ Ugh you and me both.” She poured the coco into the mug, “ It took forever getting it all out of my hair.” he laughed.

“ Hell of a deal you worked out with Junge though. If i ever get a speeding ticket, I want you to be my advocate.”

“ Funny that you mention it, you definitely seem like the fast and furious type. Never one to overthink or calculate.” Shepard said sarcastically.

“ Do you have time to talk now Commander?”

“ I stand corrected.” She headed over towards the booth, “ decisive and impulsive Alenko it is.” They both laughed as they took a seat. The ship was quiet, most of the crew was fast asleep. 

“So, what did you want to talk about?” She smiled and took a sip of her cocoa.

“We’ve played it pretty close to the book so far. But we’re a long way from backup. We’ve got some tough calls to make.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “ I’m just saying…try to leave yourself a way out. I’ve seen what cutting corners can do to someone. And I’d hate to have that happen to you, Shepard.Commander.” he corrected himself quickly and looked down awkwardly.

Shepard gave him a sly smile, “ That’s not the appropriate way to address your commanding officer, Lieutenant.”

“I wasn't speaking to you as my commanding officer, ma'am. I don't want to send any bad signals. Just working on what I picked up. You tell me if I'm going too far.”Shepard felt her body temperature rise and she smiled into her cup as he attempted a segue. 

“I’m not questioning any decision you’ve made, Shepard. Let me be clear about that. It’s just my experience that once someone lets something slide, it tends to pick up speed. You get my meaning?” _serious conversation it is._

_“_ Talk to me, Kaidan.” She set her mug down and leaned her arms on the table, “You’ve got a little black raincloud sitting over your head.”

“I’ll try to keep the deck dry.” he smirked as she grinned. 

“You know the records about the biotic training out on Jump Zero? They’re all classified. Because the Alliance made mistakes. “ _dramatic pause_ She mused, “After first contact, Conatix was set up to track element zero exposures and develop implants for humans. Once we had an embassy on the Citadel, Conatix could bring in “experts” instead of taking it slow"

“ The only experts would have been aliens.” 

“Dead on. Turians, actually. That’s why Conatix kept it secret. They were afraid of what people back home would think. Asking the turians for help when we’d just fought a war with them.”

“ Naturally.” Shepard said, “ The Asari would have been a better choice.”

“Yes, but the company didn’t go through the Citadel. It would have made Earth look weak. So they discreetly hired some turian mercenaries.”

“ Ah. a company looking out for their best interests.” 

“ It wasn’t best for us. They brought in an ex-military turian named Commander Vyrnnus. o introduce himself, he liked to say, “I was at the helm of the dreadnaught that killed your father.”, shepard giggled at his impersonation, “ I told him my dad wasn’t in the war. He’d retired to Vancouver. My family had an inland home that matured to new beachfront.

“ Vyrnnus didn't appreciate the family fun fact?” she smiled.

  
He shook his head“ Vyrnnus had it in for me after that. He cut corners, pushed hard. I mean, you either came out a superman or a wreck. And a lot of kids snapped. A few died. “ Kaidan took a deep breath and met eyes with shepard, “The point of all this – I guess – is that when you cut corners, it’s not always obvious who pays for it.”

“So why are you telling me this? Is there something I can do to help you get over it? Are you saying that I’m cutting corners somewhere?” 

“ I’m saying – it’s probably inevitable that we’ll have to. And when that happens, I want to help you. I’m thirty-two, Shepard. You don’t serve as long as I have without coming to terms with yourself. You also learn that if someone is special to you, you help them. Try to keep them from making mistakes.”

Shepard felt her heart flutter again,and met Kaidan’s eyes, “Special, huh?”

His tone was serious, no sign of deflection, “If I’m out of line, just say the word.” _He was going for it._

“You’re not out of line, Kaidan.” she met his gaze flirtatiously and fidgeted absentmindedly with her mug,“But there are regs.”

“I get you, Shepard. I don’t make a habit of complicating the chain of command.” she felt her face flush slightly,

“ Well now I do feel‘Special’.” they both smiled as Kaidan got up from the booth.

“Just think about what I said.”

“ Talk later Kaidan?” she asked, putting away her mug. 

“ I’d like that.” his voice raspy. 

“ Good night.” She left him in the mess in favor of her bed. 


	31. Old Friends

The citadel, 2183 C.E

 

Shepard charted a course for the Citadel. They needed to pick up some more supplies for their newest crew member. She wasn't an expert on Xeno-biology, but she did know that the asari scientist would require her own diet. No one would die of food poisoning on her watch. 

Not to mention, Liara didn’t exactly have a packed bag prepared in case of geth attack. She would need some clothes and general amenities. Shepard figured they would use this stop to refuel, stock up on medi-gel and various medications, and any other supplies her crew needed. 

“ Hey commander Shepard!” A voice called out to her at the market , “ It’s me! Conrad Verner! Remember me?” Shepard walked over to the blond man standing at the market entrance. 

“ Of course I remember you Conrad.”

“ There are rumor on the extranet that you've been made the first human specter! Thats incredible!”

“ Being a specter is a big responsibility. I just want to make humanity proud.”

“ The vids are all talking about Commander Shepard!” he saluted and spoke in awe,” Fighting for all of us back home! and your grace and skill have inspired a whole legion of admirers too!”

Shepard tucked a stray hair behind her ear, not sure how to handle that. 

“ Hey! could I get your picture?” Conrad asked eagerly.

“ I don't have a problem with it, but why?”

“ Are you kidding? No one will believe i spoke with the beautiful commander Shepard 

unless i get a picture! just flare your biotics a bit for me!”

She let the blue haze envelope her body, “ perfect!” Conrad snapped a photo. 

“ Thanks again commander! I’m gonna hang this in my living room! My wife will love it!” Conrad hurried off to wherever it is he came from. 

“ I still can’t believe you have fans like that.” Garrus joked. 

“ Do you think he really has a wife?” Ashley conspired as the crew headed down the ally on the way towards the elevator. 

“ Shepard!”

she froze, suddenly tense. Leaning nonchalantly against the wall of the dim ally was a man she never thought would see her again. 

“Finch.” her tone was flat as she slowly turned to face him.

“ They told me it was you, but I didn't believe it. Shepard grew up and turned into a soldier.”

“ What are you doing here Finch?” Her posture was rigid, and her expression was as a mask. Kaidan could feel the tension in the air.

“ What no love for your old friend?” He gave her a smug little smirk. “ The Tenth Street Reds send their regards.”

His voice turned sly, “maybe you don't remember it yourself, running in a gang. None of the vids mention it when they are talking about you.”

“ My history is a matter of public record. I have nothing to hide.” 

“ Really?” his voice held undertones of a threat, they both had changed a lot over the years, “ What if someone gave an interview talking about Commander Shepard’s history in the gangs.”

Shepard’s eyes slanted into a icy glare. 

“ We’re not trying to cause you trouble Shepard. What we want is a favor. For old times sake.”

She crossed her arms. “ What do you want Finch.”

“ One of the Reds, an old friend of yours, got picked up by the turians. We’d like you to talk to the turian at the bar in favor of his release.”

“ I’m gonna need a little more information Finch. What did they do?”

“Some stupid minor offense. Maybe a turian had a little red sand without experience and declared him a problem and are shipping him out to trial.”

“ What was one of the Tenth street reds doing in Turian Space?”

“ You know we always had big plans for the Reds. Since your days, the reds have expanded. We've salvaged a few ships here and there, that kind of thing.”

“ I know your not asking me to break someone out of jail are you.”

“Of course not. The word has it you've got some pull with the aliens. All we are asking you to do is pull a little.”

“ My gang days are over Finch,” She let her biotics flair. 

“ Whoa, nice trick Shep!” his eyes widened, “ How come you never used those fancy powers during our operations?”

“ Those half witted ‘operations’ are the reason I have these ‘powers’ in the first place!” 

“ Well then I’d say you definitely owe us one!” Finch laughed,” after all we made you into who you are.”

“ I don't owe the Reds anything!” her voice was dark and intense, biotic blue haze rippled over her skin, “ Now, get out of my way.” 

“ Suit yourself Shepard. If you change your mind, Head up the turian embassy, and have a chat with the guard. Take care of this. And you will never see me again.” He began to walk away,“ And Shepard. You might not run with the Reds anymore, but you really don't wanna make us your enemies.”

She curled her hands into fists, clenching every muscle in her body. They weren't going to leave her alone. She didn't have time for this! Finch’s story was spotty, decidedly vague and she felt the past she tried so desperately to leave behind resurface in violent waves. She closed her eyes and forced it back. She was not a helpless little girl anymore. She could make a difference this time. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she flung her eyes open. 

Kaidan didn't even flinch. He just looked at her with deep eyes and kept his hand strong yet gentle. Her eyes flickered from rage to vulnerability to understanding to resolve, finally settling on a distant expression. She stepped into her commander persona. 

“There’s been a change of plans.”

Ashley, Garrus, and Kaidan didn’t say a word as they traveled to the embassies. None of them understood what was going on, but could tell the commander wasn't in a mood to talk. They arrived at the Turian embassies and Shepard pulled out her specter authority and asked to see the red in custody. A Turian Guard escorted them to a holding cell. The doors swished open to a small room where a wall of glass separated them from the red. Her face was determined when the man in the cell greeted her. 

“ Sweetheart!” 

Every ounce of blood drained from her body when that voice reached her ears. Her body tensed, and her face shed every trace of emotion. Her mind was simultaneously empty and drowning in resurfaced memories. She couldn't move as she met eyes with the man behind the glass. 

A deep growling chuckle accompanied a cocky smile, as his eyes trailed over her body,“ look who’s all grown up.”

She fought the urge to look away from Curt, she was stronger than him now and made a point of maintaining eye contact. “ What are you doing here?” she said, thankful her voice came out strong instead of faltering.

“ The Turians got a little upset when I added some red sand into their medical supplies meant to treat some outbreak.” He said noncommittally. 

“ You tried to kill millions of turians.” she stated factually. 

“ yeah. so what? They won’t stay out of our business. Humanity doesn't need their involvement.” he shifted in his seat and tilted his head, his tone smoother. “ Listen, I hear you're big time now. First human specter huh? Who woulda thought.” He stood up and approached the glass separating the two of them. Every fiber of her being was tense, but she wouldn't show it. 

He gave a her a smirk, “ you could fix this, no problem.”

“ I’m not going to help you.” her hands shook slightly, still maintaining eye contact as he eyed her. 

“ Oh come on Sweetheart—“

“ Don’t fucking call me that!” her voice was pure fury and her biotics rippled across her body in a vibrant blue. 

Curt started laughing, “look at that light show! Looks like someone’s finally keeping up.” He met her gaze, his voice dropping an octave, “now, why don't you get me out of here so I can give you what I know you want.”

She lifted Curt up in the air, and spoke in a deceptively calm voice, her face twisted into a vengeful glare. “ You don't get to talk to me like that anymore. I’m not letting you out of here. I’m going to let you rot in here, because you deserve this. This and so much more.”

“ Now now, you know better than this, don't let the glass fool you into thinking your in control here.”

“I’m not afraid of you Curt. You can’t fucking touch me. And I swear to god If I ever see your face again I will shoot you down and finish what I started on Mars.” The room hummed from the excess energy her body was releasing as she clenched her fist.

“ You blew that deal on mars?” 

“ You're damn right I did.” 

He paused, before shooting her a suggestive look, “ not bad, Sweetheart.”

Shepard let out a massive growl and whipped Curt’s body towards the back wall before slamming him onto the cell floor. His nose was broken and bleeding, but he was alive. 

“ You are fucking nothing!” She yelled, Breathing heavily. She clutched her sides and swallowed hard, walking out the room still holding her arm, her eyes flew shut as she heard Curt punch the cell wall. 

Outside she met the Turian Guard, and forced herself into her commander voice, putting on the act once again.

“ A human named Finch wanted me to use my specter authority to release Curt Wiseman.”

“The Xenophobe?” The turian shook his head, “I shoulda known he’d have friends. Thank you for the information. We will increase the guard on his cell.”

Finch emerged from the far end of the room. 

“ I knew you'd rat us out Shepard! Now it’s payback time! When we are done telling our story, the aliens will know who the first human specter really is.”

Finch was really pushing it. 

“ My bio is public record, Finch!Everyone knows I ran with gangs as a kid.” Her voice exasperated and steadily elevating.

“ They don't know that the reds target aliens specifically. We've got the backers to handle off world missions. Your alien friends wont like you so much when they hear what your gang did.”

“ Ugh! Finch! The tenth street reads were a gang, not an earth first movement.”

“ They're a human movement now. You think the vids will make that distinction? I can find a dozen reds that will swear they saw you kill aliens for fun. Who’s gonna believe you then?”

“ The specter has overcome a troubled youth to lead a proud military career. the turians will not care about such things. And I doubt your lies would fool the saliarians or the asari.” The turian guard stepped in. 

“ Since when did you become my enemy Finch! How deluded have you become!” Shepard tried desperately to remain grounded. 

“ Since you abandoned the Reds!” 

“ You didn't exactly try and find me after the base exploded!” She accused.

“ You never could see the potential Curt saw in the Reds.” 

“What do you want Finch? What gets you out of my life!” She was hurt and done with this situation.

“ What do I want? I want aliens off of earth. I want the council to stay out of humanity’s business.”

“ Well you're not getting anything from me Finch. ” Her eyes were daggers, “ Say what you want to say about me, but I’m not going anywhere. This isn't going to help your ridiculous xenophobic movement! And I would faster die than help Curt Fucking Wiseman ever again!God this isn't like you!”

“ You’d just kill your career?” Finch’s voice softened, defeated, “ Just like that?”

“The Reds aren't a threat to me, Finch.” she resolved, “ You can’t touch me.”

“ Fine Shepard. you're right. You're not one of the reds. Maybe you never were.” Finch walked away.

“ That man was a xenophobe who thought he could blackmail a specter. You should have killed him!.” The guard said. 

“Unfortunately,” Shepard took a deep exhausted breath, “ That’s not the way i work.”

The guard considered it, “ Goodbye human. It will be interesting to see what kind of specter you turn out to be.” 

Shepard looked over at her teammates, who had been standing by the wall, none of them knowing what to say. 

She held onto the Commander visage awhile longer. 

“Let’s get back to the Normandy.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this one written for a while, and the idea for it even longer, glad to finally post it!


	32. Dealing with it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if I want the next part in a separate chapter or if I will add it on later, so here is a short but hopefully good chapter.

_Kaidan_

normandy sr 1

Shepard hadn't said a word the entire way back to the normandy. Her face was frozen into a blank mask, her hand digging into the crimson stripe on her arm. Garrus looked confused yet concerned and Ashley just looked pissed and protective, ready to strike anyone who looked at her wrong. Kaidan just kept his eyes on Shepard, wanting desperately to do something. 

_Welcome aboard, shore party. XO Pressley stands relieved._

The computerized voice announced their arrival and Shepard headed straight towards the stern. Joker turned around and looked perplexed at the rest of the crew standing there as Shepard descended down the stairs without plotting a course or participating in Joker’s customary banter. 

“ Did you try and make a joke again Garrus?” Joker asked. 

“ No. We ran into a few ghosts.”

* * *

_Shepard_

As soon as the door closed, she let herself breathe. It was a broken inhale, almost hyperventilating as she threw her the bulk of her armor off, not bothering to change out of the skin tight base layer. Her whole body was shaking as she dug her nails into her skin, holding herself as she slumped to the floor. Trying to cry as quietly as possible, hating herself for the situation and feeling the panic set in as flashes of Curt’s face, both past and present,assaulted her mind.

* * *

 Kaidan had been standing outside her room for almost 5 mins now… not sure how to approach the situation. Something had snapped . In that moment she wasn't herself, something he’d had a glimpse of when they had dealt with Harkin. 

Garrus had wanted to do something, but he was worried he didn't quite have enough of a grasp on human interaction to be there for her. 

A ping came up on his omnitool:

> Just a guess, but your still outside her room. STOP OVERTHINKING & go help her out!! I have a feeling you're the only one she’s ok with seeing her so broken. GO GO GO. Garrus and I are cheering you on.XOXO Ash. 

He was torn between being annoyedand embarrassed, that was their relationship in a nutshell.He pinged them back real fast. 

> Shut up. & Thanks. -K

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. There was no answer. 

“ Commander? I wanted to see how you were holding up.” Silence. 

_Well, here it goes._

Kaidan opened the door cautiously, and saw the commander on the floor, her hair dropped over her face, knees to her chest , and arms crossed. She was having a panic attack, clearly fighting to keep it under control. 

_Oh god._

“ Hey.” He said gently, sitting down beside her. Her whole body was trembling and she was gasping for air. He reached to put his arm around her, 

“ You're O—“ He was cut off in surprise as she wrapped her arms around him clinging for dear life, burring her head in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to help ground her in the moment. 

“ Shepard, you’re ok. “ He spoke softly, holding her shaking body in his arms as she tried to steady her breathing. “ you’re safe.” 

_I’m here for you. I won’t let you go._

Her grip on him tightened and she began to sob openly. Her breaths slowly falling back into a rhythm and her eyes eventually running dry. Kaidan just sat their on the floor, sheltering her as she found her way back to reality. He felt her grip loosen a bit as her sobs fell silent. She had fallen asleep. 

Kaidan smiled softly at the sleeping commander before realizing his situation. He was on the floor, in the commander's room, with the commander in skin tight clothing fast asleep on his lap. _Joker would probably give me a high five for this. This is so unprofessional._ He gently pushed her hair out of her face and felt his heart stop. She was a mess, and yet the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. 

At that moment he would do anything to see her smile again. He lifted her up in his arms, and she tightened her grip on his arm.

“ I’ve got you.” he said softly and carried her over to her bed. 

He set her down and sat on the edge of the bed. Every once in while her face would contort into a scowl and her body would tense. _Nightmares._ He reached out and let her grip his hand until they stopped. He stayed in the room, filling out mission reports and tinkering with his omni tool at her desk, calming Shepard when the nightmares returned. His omnitool lit up with a message from Ashley. 

> Do I need to rescue her from you Lt? Or would I just be interrupting? ;) -Ash
> 
> Once again. Shut up. She was in bad shape, but I think she’s ok now. She’s having nightmares though and I think I should stay… Just in case. -K
> 
> Damn. Good man LT. Ok, Lmk if you need anything. I’ll tell joker to go easy on ya.- XO Ash. 


End file.
